LB 1584 
.04 

| Copy 1 


THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY 

8-A Social Studies 


Federal, State, and Community Civics 
Oklahoma History and Geography 

OKLAHOMA CITY EDITION 

Prepared by 
Oklahoma City Teachers 



Harlow Publishing Corporation 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
1938 




























































































THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY 


8-A SOCIAL STUDIES 

Federal, State, and Community Civics 
Oklahoma History and Geography 


Prepared by 
Oklahoma City Teachers 

Oklahoma 


_ Pupil 

Junior High School 


Harlow Publishing Corporation 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
1938 





Copyright 1938 by 
Harlow Publishing Corporation 



onr 10 1338 


©ClA 1 20999 


CONTENTS 


Unit Page 

I You and Your Government_ 7 

II You and Your State_31 

Part 1 Its Geography _31 

Part 2 Its History __39 

Part 3 Its Government_53 

III You and Your City _71 

Index - 99 

MAPS 

Rivers of Oklahoma_ (Inside Cover) 

State of Oklahoma_50-51 

Early Tribal Assignments - 41 

Final Tribal Assignments _ 42 

Oklahoma Territory After 1893 _ 44 

Oklahoma and Indian Territories __ 45 


Oklahoma City 


74-5 



















FOREWORD 

The Oklahoma City junior high schools offer a uniform course in the 
social studies to all pupils through the six semesters. Grades 7B, 7A, and 8B 
are spent on United States History. Governmental developments are studied in 
their historical setting, but no special attention is paid to civics as such. 

The 8A semester is a composite study. The first six weeks are devoted to 
federal civics, the next six weeks to state civics. Two weeks of this second unit 
are given to the geography of Oklahoma, natural resources receiving major 
attention; then two weeks are used for a review of Oklahoma history, this hav¬ 
ing been studied in the upper elementary grades; and two weeks are devoted to 
a study of our state government. The last six weeks are spent on community 
civics with detailed study of Oklahoma City. The problem of safety is em¬ 
phasized in connection with this unit. 

The ninth year is devoted to world geography, with adequate attention to 
the civic-economical-social background of the various countries studied. This 
year of geography is designed to round out the geography work of the elementary 
grades and prepare for social studies of the senior high school as well as for 
life outside of school. 

Four weeks of 9A are spent on vocational information and guidance, pre¬ 
paring the pupil to enroll more effectively for 10B and to map the whole senior 
high school course. 

This volume is a basic text for the 8A composite course. It was prepared 
originally in the summer of 1934 by teachers representing the various schools 
of the city. This fourth revision is submitted with the hope that Democracy, 
the American ideal, may be more enthusiastically and effectively presented to 
Oklahoma City youth. It assumes a good deal of reading in various available 
texts and other sources, but gives core content for both local and federal sig¬ 
nificance. 

It is expected that teachers will record and report faithfully and frankly 
any errors and needed changes. This book should be revised biennially to keep 
it full of current content. 

C. K. REIFF, Superintendent, 

FLORETTE McNEESE, Director of 
Secondary School Curriculum 

Committee 

JEANNETTE M. GORDON, 

Director of Social Studies 

GLADYS BEEN 

OLIVETTE DOUGLAS BURT 

LOUDISA B. REA 

MOSS WINGO 

Oklahoma City, 

June, 1938 


*OATH OF THE ATHENIAN YOUTH TO HIS CITY STATE 


“We will never bring disgrace upon this our city by any act of cowardice. 

“We will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city both alone and 
together. 

“We will obey and revere the city’s laws, and will do our best to incite a 
like reverence and respect in those about us who are prone to annul them or 
set them at naught. We will strive unceasingly to quicken the public sense of 
civic duty. 

“Thus in all these ways we will transmit this city, not only not less, but 
greater, better, and more beautiful than it was submitted to us.” 

*Note: The city to the Greek was the same as the United States is to the 
American. 





UNIT I—YOU AND YOUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 

(6 Weeks) 


DO some thinking about this 

The study of your government should be of great 
interest and importance to you. In a very few years 
you will be old enough to vote. Will you be ready? 
The answer of American youth to that question will 
determine the future of your country. 

You are receiving a great legacy, the democratic 
way of life. We believe that the democratic way of 
life is the best in the world, but it is not enough to 
believe that, we must know why and how that is true, 
for Democracy requires more intelligence on the part 
of its citizens, and places more responsibility upon 
them than any other form of government. 

But don’t make the mistake of thinking that citi¬ 
zenship is something which comes to you when you 
reach the long-looked-for age of twenty-one and are 
permitted to vote. You are born a citizen and you 
are receiving the benefits of citizenship every day of 
your life. Oklahoma City and the State of Oklahoma 
are investing much money and thought in your train¬ 
ing, and you, in return, are expected to bear your 
duties of citizenship seriously now as well as ten 
years from now, and to make this city, state, and 
nation a better place in which to live. 

You thus receive a challenge to a great adven¬ 
ture, the adventure of being a good citizen in the 
American Democracy. 

THE GOVERNMENT IN MODERN 
CIVILIZATION 

In all countries the safety and interests of peo¬ 
ple are regulated and protected by some form of gov¬ 
ernment. This is called “civil” government. A study 
of the various forms and uses of government is often 
called Civil Government. Usually we call it Civics. 
In Oklahoma City junior high schools much of the 
content of 8A Social Science is Civics. 

Early Government. Away back in the beginning 
of things the first community (or nation) in which 
most human beings lived was the home or the family. 
The father, or in some cases, the mother, was the 
head of the family who made and enforced the laws 
and judged and settled disputes between the children. 
Usually the family included a good many people be¬ 
cause the sons and their wives and children and grand 


children all lived together or close together. This was 
for protection and for cooperation in getting food. 

These are still the main reasons why people live 
together in communities although protection and co¬ 
operation in getting food can be explained in broader 
terms than in primitive times. Today they mean such 
things as police, fire and health protection, and work¬ 
ing for a living in stores and factories. 

Gradually the community grew larger and in¬ 
cluded several families. Since disputes were settled 
by force, the strongest family head became the ruler of 
the community. A strong community probably con¬ 
quered other communities as desire for power or need 
of protection grew. The ruler held his place as long 
as he was the victor in combat and war. 

Tribes. We call these early family communities 
tribes and we call the ruler a chief. The power to 
rule was solely in his hands for he made the laws, 
enforced the laws, and settled disputes. When the 
right to rule is in the hands of one person we call 
the government an absolute government. 

As people became more civilized, tribes banded 
themselves together. Many times ambitious chiefs 
conquered other chiefs and placed the subdued tribes 
under their rule. Finally larger tribes began to shape 
into kingdoms or nations. Chiefs took titles most of 
which were words that in their languages meant 
“king” or “emperor.” The ruler of Egypt was called 
“Pharaoh”; in Rome, “Caesar”; in Turkey, “Sultan”; 
in Arabia, “the Khan”; in Russia, “Tsar”; in Germany, 
“Kaiser”; in England, “King.” 

Sovereignty. We speak of such rulers as “Sov¬ 
ereigns,” and the right to rule is called Sovereignty. 
You will meet this term in your reading so be sure 
you understand it. In these early nations the right 
to rule was in the hands of one person, a king or em¬ 
peror whose will was law and who handed the power 
on to his son. We call such governments absolute 
monarchies. 

The king usually ruled through his lords and his 
army. Each lord was placed over a small community 
or estate and held the position for life, handing it on 
to his son. He collected taxes, enforced law, and 
furnished the king with soldiers. Under this system 
of government the great mass of people had little or 
nothing to say about the way in which they were 
taxed or governed. 


(7) 





8 


Challenge of Democracy 


Sometimes a group of nobles or other powerful 
men held the sovereignty and ruled the country. Such 
a government is called an Oligarchy or Aristocracy. 
Since those who ruled cared little or nothing about 
the rights of the people, their condition was no better 
than under absolute monarchy. 

Government by the people, which we call Democ¬ 
racy, was tried many centuries ago in one place, 
Greece. There, in Athens, the citizens elected all 
their officials, and that little city-state for a few 
hundred years was the world’s center of culture and 
freedom. But it was overwhelmed, and many cen¬ 
turies passed before democratic government again was 
established. 

The Growth of Parliament. England, as you 
know, is our mother country, and it is from England 
rather than Greece that we have gained our demo¬ 
cratic principles of government. 

In the year 1215 King John was forced by a 
group of nobles to sign and obey a document called 
the “Magna Charta” or “Great Charter.” This docu¬ 
ment limited the powers of the king and forced him to 
respect some rights which the nobles claimed. It 
allowed him to levy taxes only on consent of a council 
of nobles, and forbade him to throw people into prison 
without trial by jury. After this, kings were some¬ 
times punished for not ruling according to the pro¬ 
visions of “Magna Charta.” 

As the years went by, the influence of the Great 
Charter became greater and greater. Since the king 
could not levy taxes without calling the nobles to¬ 
gether, he was compelled to take their advice on cer¬ 
tain matters. Finally these national meetings became 
regular and the cities had similar groups for levying 
local taxes. Soon the name Parliament (parley-a¬ 
ment) began to be applied to the meetings and because 
more taxes were needed, the richer people elected rep¬ 
resentatives to meet with the lords and help make the 
laws. 

As the powers of Parliament grew, the powers of 
the king became less and less. More and more groups 
of people elected representatives and Parliament be¬ 
came the recognized law-making body of England. 
It was not long before these elected representatives 
separated from the nobles and sat in an assembly by 
themselves, so the English Parliament came to consist 
of a House of Lords and a House of Commons. Today 
the House of Commons has far more power than the 
House of Lords, therefore we call England a demo¬ 
cratic government because sovereignty is no longer in 
the hands of either the king or nobles, but in the 


hands of the people who exercise their rights by vot¬ 
ing. We speak of it as a “limited monarchy.” 

As you know each of our thirteen colonies had 
its legislature modeled after that of the Mother coun¬ 
try, and when we separated from the British Empire, 
these became our state legislatures. The Constitution 
later established a representative body, the Congress, 
to make the laws for the United States. Such a gov¬ 
ernment is a republican form of government, and is 
democratic because sovereignty is in the hands of the 
people who rule through their elected representatives. 
Where the people choose their own officials and make 
their laws directly or through elected representatives 
we have a republic. 

In a “pure democracy” every citizen meets in an 
assembly, helps make the laws and elect officials as 
they did in ancient Athens, or in the New England 
town meetings, or do now right here in Nichols Hills. 
The larger the groups, the more impossible that be¬ 
comes, but the people still rule through the represen¬ 
tatives and officials whom they elect. Hence Sover¬ 
eignty is in their hands. 

Long Struggle for Freedom. The people of the 
world have been struggling through many centuries for 
this power to rule, but it is not easily secured and of¬ 
ten when secured can not be kept. Most of the coun¬ 
tries still having kings have become “limited” mon¬ 
archies somewhat like England, where the king has 
little power. Can you name some of these nations? 

However, today we find many nations where the 
people have little power, and where the sovereignty 
is in the hands of one man or group. In civilized 
countries absolute kings are things of the past, but 
dictators, men who have secured this same power, are 
very numerous. A dictator is usually able to control 
the country because of his unusual personal power 
and influence and because of unsatisfactory conditions 
in his country. Can you name some countries with 
dictators? 

We call these nations Authoritarian or Totalitar¬ 
ian nations. These are long names for us to master 
but you can both learn to say them and to understand 
them. Authoritarian comes from the word authority 
and means that all power rests in the hands of the man 
or men who are at the head of the government, 
not with the people, as in the United States. In an 
Authoritarian state the child is taught from infancy 
that his sole purpose in life is to serve the state. 
Totalitarian comes from the word total and means 
much the same as the other term. There can be no 
individual rights which the government can not take 
away tomorrow, and every human activity such as 






You and Your National Government 


9 


education, work, business, religion, is controlled by 
the government. Italy, Germany, and Russia are ex¬ 
amples of Authoritarian or Totalitarian nations. 

In each of these countries there is a party in pow¬ 
er which tolerates no difference of belief or opinion. 
In Russia this party is the Communist, led by Joseph 
Stalin; in Italy the Fascist, led by Benito Mussolini; 
in Germany, the National Socialists (Nazi) led by 
Adolph Hitler. These parties support the dictator 
and prevent any free discussion of the government. 
People who do not approve must keep still or they 
lose their property, are sent to prison, or killed. 

The American ideals of life and government are 
democratic and we permit different parties to exist and 
take part in public affairs. We believe that such a 
government is better for us than the Authoritarian 
type, but this very liberty can be so misused that it 
can bring about the end of freedom. Can you give 
any illustration how this can be? 

Democracy is not lost all at once, but gradually. 
Little by little the people let power slip from their 
hands, until one day they wake up to the fact that 
no longer do they have the power to govern them¬ 
selves. Hence we have to keep on guard all the time 
lest the people lose this right. Once lost it is seldom 
regained except by bloody revolution, and that is at 
terrible cost. 

The boys and girls of the Authoritarian countries 
are being taught to believe that their kind of gov¬ 
ernment is the best. Can you prove by your actions 
and life that Democracy, the American way of life 
and government, is better? 

Activities : 

I. Explain why we need government. 

II. How is your school government democratic? 
Do you think it could be made more so? Why are 
pupils not permitted to govern themselves completely 
in school? Do you have a democratic spirit in your 
social clubs? 

III. What kind of deeds by Americans make boys 
and girls of Authoritarian nations think that our gov¬ 
ernment is not as good as theirs? Find in the news¬ 
paper an illustration of this. Get one from the radio. 

IV. Why is it very important that selfish and 
unworthy people should not be elected to public of¬ 
fices? 

V. Make a list of Democratic countries. Make 
a list of Authoritarian countries. 

VI. Find pictures of dictators, other types of 
rulers and of our President, for your note books. 

VII. Name the parties which support the dicta¬ 
tors of Russia, Italy and Germany. 


VIII. Does a country have to be a republic to 
have democratic government? Make a list of limited 
monarchies. 

Terms you should understand : 

Sovereignty 
Absolute Monarchy 
Oligarchy 

Limited or Constitutional Monarchy 

Parliament 

Authoritarian 

Totalitarian nation 

Representative Government 

Republic 

Democracy 

Dictator 

References : 

Capen and Melchior, 409-417 

Jenks and Smith, 25-26 

Hughes, Civic Training, 192-195 

HOW THE COLONIES BECAME 
A NATION 

As you know, the first successful English colony 
in America was Virginia, founded in 1607. Here also 
was the first representative assembly. In 1619 the 
people of Virginia elected men to meet in this assem¬ 
bly and make their laws. This was a parliament, mod¬ 
eled after the one in England, but they called it “the 
House of Burgesses.” 

The very next year the Pilgrim fathers came to 
New England and while on the Mayflower drew up 
and signed the “Mayflower Compact,” an agreement 
which made it possible for them to have democratic 
government. Every man signed this document before 
he left the ship. 

At first all the voters (only men could vote) met* 
together in “Town Meetings” to discuss their needs, 
decide upon laws, and to elect their officials. This 
method of government is pure democracy. Later, 
the colonists elected groups of men to meet and make 
laws for the whole group. Their form of government 
then became representative, the same form that had 
been developed in Virginia. 

Other colonies did the same and all the thirteen 
had some sort of “parliament,” usually called “the as¬ 
sembly.” 

In all but one the assembly consisted of two 
branches, or “houses” as in England. In all but one 
the governor could “veto” acts of the assembly. Each 
colony made laws and plans for itself which sometimes 
were in conflict with the interests of other colonies. 








10 


Challenge of Democracy 


The colonies unite. Thus thirteen separate gov¬ 
ernments grew up on the Atlantic coast. Roads were 
few and very bad and the colonies had little commu¬ 
nication with each other. 

The Indians grew more and more unfriendly and 
four of the New England colonies joined to protect 
themselves. This union was called the “New England 
Confederation” and was the first step toward coopera¬ 
tion, or working together. 

The next step was taken in 1753 when a group 
of delegates from seven of the colonies met in Albany, 
New York, and discussed plans for protection from the 
French and Indians. A real plan of union of all thir¬ 
teen colonies was proposed by Benjamin Franklin but 
was not accepted. 

The colonies belonged to England, therefore Eng¬ 
land felt that she had the right to tax them. The colonies 
felt that this was wrong since they were not allowed any 
representatives in the English Parliament. They had 
their own law making bodies and felt that they should 
levy their own taxes. 

Stamp Act Congress. Therefore when Parliament 
passed the “stamp tax” the colonies felt it very un¬ 
fair and called a meeting of delegates. This met in 
New York in 1765, and was called the “Stamp Act 
Congress.” 

Such a fuss was made that Parliament repealed 
the stamp tax but did not give up the idea of taxing 
the colonies. The colonies, on the other hand, grew 
more determined that they must not permit this, be¬ 
cause “taxation without representation was tyranny” 
and was against the American ideas of what was 
right. 

First Continental Congress. In 1774, at the in¬ 
vitation of the Virginia Assembly, all but one of the 
colonies sent delegates to a meeting in Philadelphia. 
The purpose was to discuss matters of importance, 
such as the question of the right of Parliament to tax 
the colonies and to attempt to show the British Gov¬ 
ernment why the colonies objected so strongly. This 
was the First Continental Congress. 

Second Continental Congress. Very few people in 
England could understand why “the Americans” were 
objecting to these laws and so they grew more deter¬ 
mined to make the colonies submit. Fighting started 
at Lexington and Concord. Then all the colonies sent 
delegates to Philadelphia again, and this meeting was 
called the Second Continental Congress. 

It is very famous and important because it made 
the Declaration of Independence, carried on the Rev¬ 
olutionary War, and provided for the early government 
of the new United States. 


For seven years it was the ruling body, with au¬ 
thority over the states and only resigned this power 
when a better government had been created. 

Declaration of Independence. You know about 
the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. 
In that document we published to the world that we 
were no longer subjects of England, but were a free 
and independent nation. 

Articles of Confederation. It was much easier to 
tell the world that we were a free nation than it was 
to establish a government which would make a nation. 
The colonies were jealous of each other and afraid 
to give much power to this government lest it would 
be “tyrannical” as they considered England had been. 
The Second Continental Congress made our first con¬ 
stitution, called the Articles of Confederation, and 
this was adopted by all the states in 1781. 

Under this government there was a congress of 
one house, but there was no President, and no United 
States court system, and the states had more power 
:han Congress. We had won our freedom from Great 
Britain in 1783, but the new nation was soon going 
to pieces, and in danger of separating into several 
small nations. 

After a number of conferences were held, a con¬ 
vention met in Philadelphia in 1787 and decided not 
to try to change the Articles of Confederation, but to 
make a new plan of government. We call this meet¬ 
ing the Constitutional Convention, and it drew up the 
Constitution which we shall study now. 

Writing the Constitution. From May till mid- 
September (1787) fifty-five of the leading colonial states¬ 
men were at work on the preparation of our Constitution. 
Twenty-nine of these were college-trained men. Most 
of them were students of history and familiar with the 
various governments of the world. 

George Washington was made chairman. This added 
to the confidence and hope that the colonies had in the 
Convention. James Madison, one of the younger dele¬ 
gates, became the most influential member. He is often 
called the “Father of the Constitution.” 

The sessions were secret. This gave an opportunity 

/ 

to discuss all questions thoroughly and frankly and to 
settle them wisely without needlessly arousing the col¬ 
onists. 

Many “fears” had to be settled. Some delegates 
feared that the central government would be too strong. 
Others feared that the separate states would have so 
much power that the government would be hopelessly 
weak, as was true under the Articles of Confederation. 
Small states wanted the same representation in Congress 





You and Your National Government 


as the large ones. Large states wanted representation to 
depend upon population. 

So the Constitution was planned to have two houses, 
or branches. One would satisfy the small states and give 
them equal representation, the other would satisfy the 
large states and give them votes in proportion to their 
population. Other fears were settled in various sec¬ 
tions of the Constitution and, later, in the first ten 
amendments. 

In September the Convention adjourned and sent the 
Constitution to the assemblies of the thirteen states for 
their approval. When we consider the statement of Glad¬ 
stone, the famous English statesman, we may appre¬ 
ciate better what these fifty-five men did. He said, “The 
American Constitution is the most wonderful work ever 
struck olf at a given time by the brain and purpose of 
man.” For nearly a century and a half our Constitution 
has been the pattern for improving the governments in 
many parts of the world. 

Ratifying the Constitution. Each of the State As¬ 
semblies discussed the new Constitution at great length. 
This discussion led to the beginning of political parties 
in the United States. Such men as Washington, Hamil¬ 
ton, and Marshall favored the Constitution because it 
provided for a strong federal government. They were 
called Federalists. Those who wished more power for the 
states were called Anti-Federalists. Among these were 
Patrick Henry and George Clinton. As one assembly 
after another ratified the Constitution, it was with the 
understanding that one of the first acts under the new gov¬ 
ernment was to add amendments to provide what is gen¬ 
erally known as the “Bill of Rights.” 

It was provided that when nine states had ratified 
(voted for) the Constitution it should go into effect. 
This occurred in June, 1788, with the ratification of 
New Hampshire. Virginia soon made the tenth, and 
the other three followed; thus all of the thirteen “orig¬ 
inal” states entered into the agreement or plan of 
government established by the Constitution. 

The Constitution a growing thing. Do not think 
of the Constitution as being finished in 1789. It has 
been changed greatly since those days by amendment 
and by interpretation. And so we do not need to 
overthrow our government as they did in Russia to 
secure change. We can get these changes to fit new 
conditions and manners of living by amendments. In 
this way we change more slowly, but our changes are 
lasting because they have been secured without the de¬ 
struction that comes whenever people go to war. 


11 


Your readings: 

Do you remember details of your reading and map 
study well enough to answer the following questions? 

1. Study a map of the United States to see what 
part of the present area was included in the original 
thirteen states. 

2. What countries had helped us to win inde¬ 
pendence? 

3. What one influenced us in our ideas of gov¬ 
ernment? 

4. Why was it necessary to make a new consti¬ 
tution? 

5. What men not mentioned above were prom¬ 
inent in making and adopting the Constitution? 

6. Did all of the colonies send delegates to the 
Constitutional Convention? 

7. Where was the Convention held? 

8. Why did members of the Convention adopt 
the rule of secrecy? 

9. Who kept a complete record of the Conven¬ 
tion ? 

10. Who acted as peacemaker at the Convention? 
Give two examples. 

11. What state offered a plan in behalf of the 
small states? Explain. 

12. How long is the Constitution? Is it easy 
to read and understand? 

13. When was the Constitution signed? How 
many signers were there? 

14. What did Washington and Franklin say when 
the members were signing? 

15. Why did the Federalists support the Consti¬ 
tution? 

16. Why did the anti-federalists oppose the Con¬ 
stitution? 

17. What was the “war of the pamphlets”? 

18. When were the first ten amendments adopt¬ 
ed? What are they called? 

19. What may generally be considered the birth 
of political parties? 

20. How many states had to ratify the Consti¬ 
tution before it could be put into effect? 

21. When was it ratified? 

For class discussion : 

1. Why is it incorrect to say that the Constitu¬ 
tion is “out of date”? What answer can you make to 
that charge? 

2. Why is gradual change of government better 
than sudden revolutionary changes? 








12 


Challenge of Democracy 


Terms to knoiv: 

State Legislature 

Articles of Confederation 

Constitutional Convention 

ratify 

Federalists 

Anti Federalists 

Town Meeting 

Date: 1789 

References : 

Jenks and Smith, 47-75. 

Hughes, Civic Training, 229-237 
Magruder, Ch. Ill 

PLAN OF GOVERNMENT IN THE 
UNITED STATES 

The United States is a federal republic. That 
means that it is composed of states having their own 
governments and certain rights, but that the govern¬ 
ment of the United States, or the “federal govern¬ 
ment’' as we call it, is supreme over all. 

There are now forty-eight states and some terri¬ 
tories which may some day become states. In 1907 
Oklahoma territory was united with Indian territory 
and became the forty-sixth state. Can you name some 
territories? 

The states are divided into counties and in many 
states these counties are divided into townships. 
Within the counties are villages, towns, and cities. 

What this means to you. Although the federal 
government is supreme over* all, the closest and most 
important unit of government to you is your city or 
county. Most of the taxes go toward the support and 
upkeep of its streets, schools, parks, health, and for 
police protection. 

Next in importance to you is your state, which 
makes the laws that most affect your life and wel¬ 
fare and into whose treasury go the next largest 
amount of taxes. 

Supreme over all is the federal government which 
makes the general rules and attends to all affairs 
with other nations. Into its treasury most of us pay 
less in taxes than into our state treasury. 

Let us illustrate this by school life. Here in 
school you are most directly affected each day by your 
classes and teachers and what goes on in the class¬ 
room. We may compare your class to the city and 
county. 

Next come other members of the faculty, and 
the Principal and the Office. All of them are very 
important, but you do not come in such close con¬ 


tact with them each day. We may compare their 
authority to that of the state. 

Above all is the Superintendent of Schools and 
the Board of Education. How often do you deal with 
them or even see them? Their power may be com¬ 
pared with that of our United States government. 

Do you catch the significance of the illustra¬ 
tion. and the importance of the town (or city) and 
county to your own welfare? Be sure not to forget 
this when you are studying about the state and fed¬ 
eral governments. 

We shall now study the Constitution itself. 

“WE, THE PEOPLE” 

We can answer the questions as to who formed the 
new government and why, by carefully reading the Pre¬ 
amble. It is worth memorizing. First, who formed the 
new government? “We, the people.” 

Who is meant by “the people”? It means you 
and your neighbors old enough to vote. In their 
hands is the power of government. 

That the people are the government was an un¬ 
common idea when the Constitution was made and, 
although it is more generally accepted today, we have 
learned that only by constant watchfulness can we 
preserve this principle which we cherish as the very 
foundation of liberty. 

What was the purpose of the Constitution? Again 
let the Preamble answer: 

(1) “To form a more perfect union.” Under the 
Articles of Confederation the union was very im¬ 
perfect. 

(2) “Establish justice.” Injustice under British 
colonial rule had proved one of the main grievances. 
No national courts had been established under the 
Articles of Confederation. 

(3) “Insure domestic tranquility.” They were eager 
to insure peace among the states and among citizens 
and to protect the property and rights of all. 

(4) “Provide for the common defense.” Remember that 
under the Articles of Confederation, Congress could 
not raise an effective army or navy. 

(5) “Promote the general welfare.” Under “general 
welfare” have been included many of the most 
important services of the federal government. 

(6) “Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and 
our posterity.” You and I are included in their 
posterity. 

As we study the Constitution and learn of the various 
forms and phases of our government let us see how well 





You and Your National Government 


13 


and in what ways these six purposes have been fulfilled. 
References (a) : B. & A. 274-5; F. 202, 303. 

References (6): F. &. F. 201; S. 1-2. 


THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT 

The federal government has three branches: Legis¬ 
lative, Executive, and Judicial. So do states and cities. 
Congress is the legislative branch of the federal gov¬ 
ernment. In the states it is the Legislature, sometimes 
called the Assembly. A city has a Council or Commis¬ 
sion. In every case this is the law-making body. 

The President is the chief executive of the nation. 
That means that he must see that the laws passed by 
Congress are put into effect (executed). In a state 
it is the Governor who has this duty; in a city, the 
mayor. Their assistants make up the Executive De¬ 
partment or Branch of Government. 

In federal, state, and city government, and often 
in the county, there is a system of courts. These make 
what we call the Judicial Branch or Judiciary. 

We gained our ideas of freedom from England, yet 
the English King George III drove the colonies to re¬ 
volt because he was trying to interfere with these dem¬ 
ocratic principles. 

The Fathers of the Constitution had lived through 
that revolution so they provided that no one officer or 
group in one department might have power over offi¬ 
cers or groups in another department. In other words, 
neither the President, nor Congress, nor the Court have 
greatest authority. We call this the “check and bal¬ 
ance” system, and it is very important in keeping con¬ 
trol of the government in the hands of the people. 


THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 

Article I, which includes more than half of the orig¬ 
inal Constitution, is all about Congress. Section 1 reads, 
“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in 
a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of 
a Senate and a House of Representatives.” “All” law¬ 
making power is given to Congress, yet we shall see later 
how the President and the courts sometimes restrict Con¬ 
gress in law-making. 

As mentioned above, two houses were created. This 
was patterned after the colonial assemblies and the Par¬ 
liament of Great Britain. 

House of Representatives. Section 2 describes the 
House of Representatives, often called the “Lower House” 
and sometimes the “House.” Its members are called 
Congressmen, a term never used for members of 
the Senate. The first and second clauses of this section 
provide that members shall be elected for two years. A 
Congressman must be at least twenty-five years old and 
have been for seven years a citizen of the United 
States. He must be a citizen of the state that elects 
him. 

Each state is guaranteed at least one member 
of the House. The Constitution mentions the number 
that each of the original thirteen should have in the first 
Congress. It ranged from one to ten for the various 
states, the total being sixty-five. The number from 
each state depends upon its total population as shown 
by the last federal census. 

At first in figuring the population, negro slaves were 
counted at three-fifths of their total number. It is in¬ 
teresting to note, though, that the Constitution was care¬ 
ful not to use the word “slave.” Since the Civil War, 
Negroes count as do all other inhabitants. 

The Constitution provides that the “number 
of representatives shall not exceed one for every 
30,000, but that each state shall have at least one 
representative”. With the growth in population 
the ratio of representation has grown until now 
we have approximately one representative for 
each 300,000 inhabitants. 

The Lower House grew to a total of 435 
members. That was already too many for the 
best work, so a law was passed to prevent the to¬ 
tal number from exceeding 435. Since then and 
for the future each state is allotted its part of the 
435 in proportion to the fraction that its popula¬ 
tion is of the total population of the nation. 
Every ten years, after a federal census, the num¬ 
ber is adjusted. Some states that have grown 



OUR NATIONAL CAPITOL 












14 


Challenge of Democracy 


rapidly get additional members; others are given 
fewer than before. In the last change, twenty-one 
states lost and eleven gained. By the 1930 census, 
Oklahoma increased her representatives from eight to- 
nine. Until our legislature re-districts the state, 
making nine districts instead of eight, one of our 
representatives will be elected by the whole state and 
will be known as our Congressman-at-large. The 
numbers of representatives for the states range from 
one for each of four states to forty-five for New York. 
Pennsylvania has thirty-four; Illinois, twenty-seven; 
Ohio, twenty-two; Texas, twenty-one; and California, 
twenty. 

Oklahoma County is now in the fifth district and 
in Congressional legislation deals more directly through 
the fifth district representative than through the others. 
Who represents this district? All nine members are 
interested in the whole state as well as the whole 
nation. Each is more responsible for knowing the 
conditions, needs, and wishes of his own district 
than any other of the 435 Congressmen. He tries to 
find out the wishes of his “constituents” and really 
be their representative. 

Clause 4 of Section 2 provides for the filling of va¬ 
cancies in the House of Representatives. If a represen¬ 
tative dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the gov¬ 
ernor of his state calls a special election in the district 
concerned. 

House Officers. The fifth clause states, “The House 
of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other 
officers.” The House chooses one of their own members 
to be their “Speaker,” that is, their presiding officer. He 
is chosen for two years and is always the leader of the 
political party which then has the majority in the House. 
He is always a man who has served many years in Con¬ 
gress and is a recognized national leader. If the Presi¬ 
dent and the Congressional majority are of the same 
party, the Speaker is usually someone approved by the 
President. 

The Speaker is still one of the most influential offi¬ 
cials in the United States. Until 1911 he appointed all 
committees, which gave him much power and influence 
in law making. Who is the Speaker of the present Con¬ 
gress and from what state does he come? 

The House also chooses a Clerk, a Sergeant-at- 
Arms, a Doorkeeper, a Postman, and numerous assist¬ 
ants to these. There is also a large number of stenog¬ 
raphers and pages. 

This clause also states that the House “shall have the 
sole power of impeachment.” 

Impeachment means bringing charges against a 
high official for not performing his duties according 


to the laws. It does not mean that he is found guilty 
of these charges. The House of Representatives 
makes the charges, but the trial must take place be¬ 
fore the Senate, which acts as jury during the trial. 
If voted guilty by two-thirds of the senators, the of¬ 
ficial is removed from office. 

We have had a number of impeachments, but few 
convictions and removals from office. Most of those 
impeached have been federal judges. What President 
was impeached? Was he convicted? 

The Senate. Section 3 of Article I, together with 
the 17th Amendment, gives us a picture of the Upper 
House of our Congress, the Senate. It has two members 
from each state, thus giving Nevada and New York the 
same representation, even though there are nearly 140 
times as many people in New York as in Nevada. This 
arrangement satisfied the group in the Constitutional 
Convention which feared that the larger states would 
rule the country. 

At first there were twenty-six Senators. There are 
now ninety-six. They have six-year terms, one-third of 
them being elected in each even year. Notice how 
the terms of officers have been arranged. Congress¬ 
men hold office for two years; Senators for six years; 
and, as we shall note later, the President’s term is 
four years. 

In 1932 Oklahoma elected Elmer Thomas, and in 
1936 Josh Lee, as Senators. In 1934 our State did 
not have a senatorial election, but thirty-two other 
states did. We shall elect a Senator in November of 
1938. 

The Constitution provides that each legislature 
should elect the Senators for its state. Gradually that 
plan proved more and more unsatisfactory. Since 1913, 
the 17th Amendment has provided for election by vot¬ 
ers of the whole state. Both of the state Senators may 
live in the same town, but usually they live in dif¬ 
ferent sections of the state. 

The Senate has three powers not given to the House. 
First, it has the “sole right to try all impeachments.” 
That is, as we have already pointed out, the accusation 
must be made by the House and the trial must take 
place in the Senate. Andrew Johnson was impeached 
by the House, but the Senate lacked one vote of the 
necessary two-thirds to convict him. A second special 
right of the Senate is to ratify treaties which the 
United States makes with other countries. The third 
special power is to confirm appointments made by the 
President. 

Senate Officers. The Vice President of the United 
States presides over the Senate. He is not a Senator 
and has no vote except to break a tie. The Senate- 






You and Your National Government 


15 


chooses its other officers, including a president “pro 
tem,” who presides in the absence of the Vice President. 
Also, he presides regularly over the Senate if the Vice 
President succeeds to the presidency. ' 

Congress. Time of Election. All Representatives 
and Senators are now elected in the autumns of even 
years. Maine elects in September and the other states on 
the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 
Most of the states have “primary” elections in the sum¬ 
mer to nominate candidates for the different parties. 

Salaries. Senators and Representatives now receive 
a salary of $10,000 a year. In addition, they have reason¬ 
able allowances for stationery, clerical help, and travel 
that is in connection with their government duties. 

Privileges. Clause 1 of Section 6 also provides that 
members of Congress can not be arrested while attending 
Congress except for certain very serious offenses. Nor 
can they be officially tried for their remarks in debates 
in Congress. This protection was provided because of 
arrests and impeachments of members of the British 
Parliament brought about unfairly by their opponents. 

Time of Meeting, Contested Elections, Rules, Con¬ 
gressional Record. 

Section 4, Clause 2, states that Congress shall meet 
on the first Monday in December each year. For nearly 
a century and a quarter Congressmen who were elected 
took office nearly thirteen months later. Often that 
meant that members of both houses who failed to be re¬ 
elected continued to make laws for a whole year after 
the voters had disapproved them. Those members who 
failed to be re-elected and continued to serve for a year 
were often referred to as “lame ducks.” 

In 1933 the 20th Amendment, sometimes called the 
“Lame Duck Amendment,” became effective. It provides 
that all Senators and Representatives take office on Jan¬ 
uary 3rd after the November election. This amendment 
makes it possible for newly elected Congressmen to act 
more promptly upon the expressed wishes of their 
voters. 

Section 5 gives each House the right to “judge” the 
elections of its own members. Frequently an election is 
contested. The contest is not decided by the state that 
the member represents, but by a majority vote of the 
members of his House who have already been “seated.” 

This same section gives each House the right to 
make rules for its proceedings and to compel attendance 
of members. Each House may “punish its members for 
disorderly behavior and may even expel a member if a 
two-thirds vote so decides.” This is rarely done. 

Each House keeps complete records of its discus¬ 


sions and decisions and publishes these as the “Congres¬ 
sional Record.” Your teacher or your school librarian 
can show you a recent copy of the Record. 

Organization of Congress. We have noticed that 
each House elects its own officers. Each House meets in 
its own chamber in opposite wings of the Capitol. Each 
member is assigned a desk at which he sits during the 
sessions. He is assigned an office where he and his staff 
work. 

Proposed laws are discussed from the “floor.” That 
is, each member arises at his desk and is “recognized” 
by the presiding officer. He addresses the members of 
his House, whose votes he tries to win by his argument. 
Discussion of a measure may be continued from time 
to time. When argument has been brought to a close 
the members present vote. Four methods of voting are 
used. The first is an “aye” and “no” vote, the presiding 
officer deciding by the sound of the unison voices. If he 
is uncertain, or if any member objects to his decision, he 
may call for a standing vote. Another plan which has 
been used is for the members to line up in two groups andl 
pass before “tellers,” who count the votes on each side- 
On very important matters the roll is called, each mem¬ 
ber responding “aye” or “no” to his name. The Con¬ 
gressional Record and the newspapers inform the public; 
as to how each member voted on roll calls. 

Caucuses. It might appear that most of the decisions' 
are made in the public session of Congress. That is 
often not really the case. There are usually two main 
parties represented in Congress. These organize in par¬ 
ty meetings (caucuses), each group choosing a leader. 
The party having the most members in that session is 
the majority party and chooses the majority leader. 
The other party has a minority leader. These caucuses 
often determine in their sessions how their parties will 
stand on some of the important issues. 

Committees. In both the Senate and the House of 
Representatives the committees are largely responsible 
for the laws that Congress passes. Each committee has 
members from both parties, but the majority party al¬ 
ways has a majority of members and has the chairman 
of the committee. The Senate has more than thirty 
“standing” committees and the House more than fifty. 
Illustrations of important committees are: Ways and 
Means, Foreign Affairs, Appropriations, Military Affairs, 
Naval Affairs, Immigration, Finance, Commerce, and 
Civil Service. Committees vary in size, the largest hav¬ 
ing more than thirty members. Each Congressman is 
a member of two or more committees, but the “ranking”’ 
members, those who have been on the committee for the 







16 


Challenge of Democracy 


longest time, are the most influential. This is what is 
called “seniority.” 

When a bill or resolution is introduced it is re¬ 
ferred to one of these committees and since hundreds 
of bills are proposed you can see that they could not 
all be considered on the floor of Congress. So many 
bills both good and bad are killed in the committee for 
it is very seldom that a bill is passed when a commit¬ 
tee decides against it. And when it decides to recom¬ 
mend a bill, members of the committee aid in the de¬ 
bates on the floor. You can see that the committees 
are very powerful. 

Steps in passing a bill. Any member or group of 
members of either House may prepare and introduce 
“bills,” that is, proposed laws. Usually the important 
bills are prepared by the committees concerned and 
introduced by the chairmen. More than nine-tenths 
of the bills and resolutions introduced are not passed. 

After a bill is introduced it is usually some time 
before it is voted upon. During that time it is studied 
by members of the proper committee in each House. 
Friends and opponents of the measure have a chance to 
influence committee members and other Senators and 
Representatives. This is done by writing, wiring, or 
telephoning, and, frequently, by personal visits to the 
members or to the committees in session. This attempted 
influence we usually call “lobbying.” 

A bill may become a law when passed by a majority 
of both houses and signed by the President. If the 
President disapproves he “vetoes” the bill; that is, he 
sends it back to the House where it started with a 
statement of his objections. In rare cases he may speak 
to the two houses assembled, explaining his objection. 
This occurred in May, 1985, when President Roosevelt 
delivered his veto measure to the Veterans’ Bonus Bill. 
After his veto is delivered, the House which originated 
the bill may vote on it again, and a two-thirds vote in 
favor of the bill over-rides his veto. This the House 
of Representatives did on the Bonus Bill. It then goes 
to the other House and is voted on again. If the sec¬ 
ond House re-passes it by a two-thirds majority it be¬ 
comes a law in spite of the President’s veto. On the 
bonus measure the Senate lacked nine votes of having 
a two-thirds majority, and the bill was killed. Very 
rarely is a bill passed by both houses over the Presi¬ 
dent’s veto. 

In January, 1936, the Bonus Bill was again sub¬ 
mitted to Congress. It passed both houses by a large 
majority. The president vetoed the bill but it was 
passed over his veto. 

It is possible for a President to permit a bill to be¬ 


come a law without his signature. Usually he works with 
influential leaders in both houses of Congress to help 
secure the passage of laws in a form that he can approve. 
Later we shall see this same kind of procedure by gov¬ 
ernors and state legislators. 

“All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the 
House of Representatives.” By having the right to modi¬ 
fy the bills the Senate has about as much power over 
taxation as does the House. 

Powers of Congress. Section 8 lists the “expressed” 
powers of Congress. Congress really has much more ex¬ 
tensive power than is expressed in Section 8. Powers 
not definitely stated are called “implied” powers. The 
following are the most important powers of Congress: 

(1) “To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and ex¬ 
cises, to pay the debts and to provide for the com¬ 
mon defense and general welfare of the United 
States.” Taxes really include duties, imposts, and 
excises. Duties and imposts are levied on imported 
goods. Excises may be collected on goods produced 
within the country and are usually called “inter¬ 
nal revenue.” This is the chief power given the 
government. 

(2) “To borrow money on the credit of the United 
States.” Congress may borrow money from other 
countries, though that has very rarely been done 
even though we have loaned heavily to other coun¬ 
tries. Usually Congress issues bonds, which are 
bought by individuals and firms. During the World 
War smaller amounts were loaned to the govern¬ 
ment by some people through the “War Saving 
Stamps.” 

(3) “To regulate commerce with foreign nations and 
among the several States, and with the Indian 
tribes.” This was to correct one of the greatest 
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Later 
we shall notice some federal commissions and de¬ 
partments which Congress has created to regulate 
commerce. This is the second most important 
power. 

(4) Congress regulates naturalization and bankrupt¬ 
cies. Foreign-born residents of the United States 
must become naturalized to vote and to have cer¬ 
tain property rights. What are some of the re¬ 
quirements for naturalization? 

(5) “To coin money, regulate the value thereof and of 
foreign coin, and to fix the standard of weights 
and measures.” This is one of the most important 
powers and duties of Congress. By deciding the 
relative value of gold and of silver, Congress may 
determine prices and wages. A Bureau of Weights 






You and Your National Government 


17 


and Measures determines the official value of the 
various measurements which we use. 

(6) Congress provides for punishing counterfeiters. 
Federal marshals and courts are constantly busy 
catching and punishing people who coin or print 
money that is not official and that is worthless. 

(7) “To establish post-offices and post-roads.” That 
gives Congress, through departments and offices 
created by it, the right and duty to provide for our 
system of mails. At first this had to do mainly with 
carrying mail by horseback and stage coaches. To¬ 
day it is mainly a matter of railroads, steamboats, 
and airplanes. 

(8) “To promote the progress of science and useful 
arts.” This has brought about the granting of 
patents and copyrights to inventors and authors. 
You will notice in the front of every one of your 
texts the date when it was copyrighted, and on 
many manufactured articles the date when patented. 
This is done to protect the author or inventor and 
to encourage further advancement along these lines. 

(9) To create other courts to assist the Supreme Court 
in “insuring justice,” as provided by the Preamble. 
Later we shall study the system of federal courts. 

( 10 ) To punish pirates. When the Constitution was 
written pirates were a constant danger to travel 
and commerce and dealing with them was one of 
the most difficult national problems. 

( 11 ) To raise money to support armies and navies. At 
the present time this includes aircraft used in the 
defense of the country. 

( 12 ) To provide for the raising and use of forces for 
national defense. Ordinarily the army and navy 
are used against foreign countries, though some¬ 
times for internal services. The National Guard, 
recruited within the states but controlled by 
both state and federal government, is usually 
called out for local service. 

( 13 ) “To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases what¬ 
ever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles 
square) as may, by cession of particular States, 
and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of 

government of the United States.” Of 

course you know that this refers to the District of 
Columbia, which was not created until after the 
adoption of the Constitution. The government of 
the city of Washington and of the District of 
Columbia is controlled by act of Congress, and the 
expenses of the city of Washington are raised by 
federal appropriation. 

( 14 ) Congress is given control of “forts, magazines. 


arsenals, dock yards, and other needful buildings, 
even though erected within a state.” For instance, 
Ft. Sill and the military reservation in Lawton are 
under the control of the federal government through 
Congress. The same is true of Ft. Reno. 

(15) “To make all laws which shall be necessary and 
proper for carrying into execution the foregoing 
powers, and all other powers vested by this Con¬ 
stitution in the government of the United States, 
or in any department or officer thereof.” This 
clause, called the “Elastic Clause,” really gives 
Congress more power than is listed above and 
has made it possible for our government to direct 
a growing nation. Modern conditions have 
brought about many duties that could not be 
properly provided for except for this Elastic 
Clause. 

Powers Denied to the Federal Government. Section 

9 of Article I and most of the first ten amendments list 

powers which are denied to the federal government: 

(1) The Constitution was framed when slavery was 
general throughout the country, but was already a 
matter of difference of opinion. The first clause of 
Section 9 forbade Congress to restrict the bringing 
in of slaves before 1808. Of course this clause is 
now of little importance except historically. 

(2) The Right of Habeas Corpus can not be suspended. 
This prevents unjust imprisonment, since “Habeas 
Corpus” means “present the prisoner,” or requires 
him to be brought into court to determine whether 
or not he is legally held. 

(3) No Bill of Attainder can be passed. This prevents 
one’s family and descendants from being punished 
for his offense. The same clause forbids the pass¬ 
ing of Ex Post Facto laws, that is, those which 
take effect before the time of passing the bill. 

(4) The next three clauses protect the states and their 
inhabitants from kinds of taxation that would be 
unfair and that would interfere with the commerce 
of the states. 

(5) The federal government can not draw money from 
the Treasury that has not been appropriated by 
Congress and must make public reports of public 
money received and spent. 

(6) “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United 
States . . . .” In Section 10 we find that states are 
also forbidden to grant titles of nobility. The 
makers of the Constitution were eager to prevent 
the development of titled classes. 

Bill of Rights. When some of the states ratified the 

Constitution it was the understanding that the first Con- 





18 


Challenge of Democracy 


gress should adopt certain amendments. The first ten 
Articles were promptly adopted and are known as the 
Bill of Rights. 

They guarantee individual rights and, so long as 
they really exist, you can not have Authoritarian gov¬ 
ernment. On the other hand if these “rights” are 
abused they can do Democracy great harm. 

Amendment I: 

a. No state religion can ever be adopted. In England 
the Church of England has special privileges; in 
some countries the Catholic Church. 

b. Another provision of the first amendment is that 
“the freedom of speech or of the press” shall not 
be abridged or denied. This makes it possible for 
people in conversation, public speech, and in writ¬ 
ing to express their sentiments about the govern¬ 
ment without being unduly punished. 

c. The first amendment also assures the people the 
right to assemble peaceably and to petition the 
government for “redress of grievances.” 

Amendment II: 

The second amendment permits states to raise and 
use militias, and allows individuals to keep fire arms 
for protection. As the need of carrying guns 
for protection has passed, many states and cities 
have made it illegal for individuals to carry con¬ 
cealed weapons unless they are peace officers. 

Amendment III: 

The third amendment prohibits the government 
from keeping soldiers in private homes in peace time 
and even in war time without consent of the owner, 
unless legal payment is provided. You will remem¬ 
ber that this was one of the many complaints which 
fhe Declaration of Independence brought against 
Great Britain. 

Amendment IV: 

“The right of the people to be secure in their per¬ 
sons, houses, papers, and effects against unreason¬ 
able searches and seizures shall not be violated.” 
This is the fourth amendment. 

Amendment V: 

The fifth amendment protects individuals from un¬ 
just conviction or punishment. The right of trial 
by jury is assured. There are other important 
protections in the fifth amendment which make 
that amendment worth your reading. 

Amendments VI-IX: 

The next three amendments are along the same 
general line as the fifth and are meant to assure 
individuals against unfair and unjust treatment. 


Amendment X: 

The tenth amendment says, “The powers not dele¬ 
gated to the United States by the Constitution nor 
prohibited by it to the States are reserved to the 
States respectively or to the people.” This amend¬ 
ment has been extremely important in determin¬ 
ing what rights and powers are left to the states. 

Your Duty. It should be noticed here that every 
constitutional right is matched by a constitutional 
duty which only you can perform. For instance, as we 
have been pointing out, Freedom of speech carries 
with it the duty of not injuring your government by 
false and intemperate language. The right of jury 
trial carries with it the duty of serving upon a jury. 
The right of protection of property carries with it the 
duty of protecting your government from injury. Can 
you find other duties to match the rights you enjoy? 
Good citizens must be interested in their duties as well 
as their rights. 

Activities : 

1. List on the blackboard the points of character 
which you think a good Congressman should 
have. 

2. Discuss the training and experience you think 
a good member of Congress should have. 

3. Who is the representative from our district? 
Where does he live? Tell all you can about 
him. 

4. What Congress is now in session, or will be 
when it next meets? 

5. Bring to class some newspaper articles that re¬ 
fer to the action of Congress. 

6. What political party now has a majority in 
Congress? Does the President belong to the 
same party? 

7. Give the main steps in the passage of a bill. 

8. How many members are there in Congress? 

9. What do we mean by Congress? 

10. What does legislative mean? 

11. What does the statement that the United States 
has a government of checks and balances mean? 

12. What qualifications must one have to be a 
member of the House of Representatives? To 
be a member of the Senate? 

13. If your senator should die, how would his place 
be filled? 

14. How many senators are there today? Why 
are there more than there were in 1789? 

15. Who is the present presiding officer of the 
House? The Senate? 

16. How many Representatives has our state? Find 
out who they are. 





You and Your National Government 


19 


17. What privileges do Congressmen have? 

18. Find the elastic clause and explain why it is 
called elastic. 

19. In what three ways may a bill become a law 
after passing Congress? 

20. Make a chart showing the following points for 
both Senate and House of Representatives: 

Qualification of members Number in each house 


Tenure of office 

Number from your state 

Salary 

By whom elected 

Sole powers 

Terms we should know: 

Congress 

bill of attainder 

legislative 

Capitol-Capital 

delegated powers 

Library of Congress 

checks and balances 

Speaker 

pork barrel 

quorum 

freedom of debate 

departments of government 

special session 

preamble 

lobbying 

amendment 

log rolling 

rider 

majority 

veto 

minority 

pocket veto 

majority rule 

Congressional Record 

appropriation 

Congressman-at-large 

filibuster 

franking privilege 

bicameral 

senatorial courtesy 

bill 

budget 

law 

Journal 

ex post facto 

committee system 


References : 

Senate: Jenks and Smith, 163 

House: Jenks and Smith, 161 

Bill of Rights: Jenks and Smith, 38, 40. 

Faith and Edgerton, 196-209 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, 401-405 

Jenks and Smith, 157-166 

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH 

We have learned that the purpose of the Legis¬ 
lative Department of government is to make laws. 
Government would not be worth much if the laws were 
not enforced. This is true of school and class and of 
any community. For the purpose of enforcing the 
laws of the United States we have the Executive 
Branch of government. 

The President. At the head of this branch is the 
President. Article II of the Federal Constitution is 
entirely about the President and the Vice President 


and the other phases of this branch that come under 
the Presidency. As we read Article II, section by sec¬ 
tion, it will be necessary to study the 12th Amendment 
along with it. This became a part of the Constitution, 
in 1804. 

Section 1 states that both President and Vice Presi¬ 
dent shall be elected for a term of four years. Nothing 
is said about more than one term. What men have been 
re-elected to the presidency? No one has ever been 
elected for a third term, though that would be constitu¬ 
tional. There is a precedent that no one shall seek a 
third term. What do w r e mean by precedent? It has often 
been proposed that the term be increased from four to 
six years and re-election be forbidden. 

The makers of our Constitution felt that it would 
be unsafe to permit the people to elect their President 
by direct vote. They provided for “electors” to be chosen 
by popular vote who should then choose the President 
and Vice President. Each state was given as many 
electoral votes as it had members in Congress; that is, 
its two Senators plus its number of representatives. At 
present that gives Oklahoma eleven electoral votes for 
President and for Vice President. 

When Washington was elected there were no poli¬ 
tical parties. They developed during his administration. 
Then the constitutional plan of electing the President 
Sroke down, especially when the tie vote for Jefferson 
and Burr could not be broken. 

As the United States has developed parties, our 
plan of election has been built up around what we call 
“tickets.” Each party has a national convention in 
mid-summer preceding the November election. Each 
state and territory sends delegates to the conventions. 
These delegates adopt a “platform,” that is, a state¬ 
ment of the issues or problems that they expect to 
champion. Then men are nominated for President. 
The delegates continue to vote until one man has a 
majority (or in some cases 60%) of the votes. He is 
the party nominee for President. Then a man is 
chosen in the same way to head the ticket as nominee 
for Vice President. 

When the official ballots are printed for the Novem¬ 
ber election there is a column for each party. At the 
top is the “device,” or picture, which the party has 
adopted as its symbol, such as a rooster, clasped hands, 
etc. There follows the names of the party nominees for 
President and Vice President, and then the names of 
the electors which that party has chosen for its state. 
You and I vote indirectly for the candidates who head 
some ticket, but in reality we must vote for the electors 
who vote for the candidate. 








20 


Challenge of Democracy 


In a way this is popular election (election by the 
people), but in reality it is not. It is an election by 
States. All the electoral votes are usually cast 
for the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates 
of one party, even though the winning party may have 
received only a bare majority (or even a bare plural¬ 
ity) of the popular votes. It is possible for a candi¬ 
date to be elected with a majority of the electoral votes 
of the nation even though an opponent received a ma¬ 
jority of the popular votes. 

There are other interesting and important matters 
to learn about conventions, platforms, tickets, ballots, 
election boards, etc. These matters will be discussed in 
the unit on Oklahoma Civics. 

Notice that the 12th Amendment provides that the 
electoral votes be counted in Congress about two months 
after the election. In reality we know how the election 
went within a few hours after the voting. The counting 
in Congress is now a mere formality, though when the 
Constitution was written and roads were poor and there 
were no daily newspapers, telephone, telegraph, or radio 
■service, the results had to wait on the Congressional 
-count. 

In case there is a tie for President in the electoral 
votes the House of Representatives shall elect a Presi¬ 
dent. The Senate shall break a tie vote for Vice Presi¬ 
dent. Notice how the 12th Amendment provides for an 
election which has been thrown into Congress. Has Con¬ 
gress ever been called upon to break such a tie? 

Washington was inaugurated for the first time on 
April 30th after his election, the previous autumn. Most 
of the Presidents have taken the oath of office on 
March 4th. The President elected in 1936 took office 
January 20, 1937, as provided by the 20th Amendment, 
enacted in 1933. The oath of office is administered 
by the Chief Justice. The inauguration is a very im¬ 
portant event in our national life. Radio brings it to 
all of us, but many thousands still travel to Washing¬ 
ton to see it. 

The President’s salary is $75,000 a year with an 
allowance of $25,000 a year for travel expense. He lives 
in the White House with most of the expenses paid by 
the government. 

The rulers of all nations, especially of the larger 
and more powerful nations, attract world-wide attention. 
Often the extent of the popularity or fame of a country 
depends upon what man or women is then ruler. This 
is not true with the President of the United States. 
Because of the outstanding position of our nation 
among the nations of the world our President is always 
a very important and influential person. His state¬ 


ments are watched and studied by statesmen of all 
countries. His opinions have much weight. 

Commander-in-Chief . Section 2 of Article II names 
the President as commander-in-chief of the army and 
navy. Also, he is in command of the National Guard 
when it is called to enforce federal laws. Really the 
President never leads either army or navy in action. 
He does have the final responsibility for both of these 
departments. He directs these two means of defense 
through departments that we shall study later. He also 
selects the high officials in both army and navy even 
though the highest appointments must be confirmed 
by the Senate. 

Official Opinions. This section also provides that 
he “may require the opinion in writing of the principal 
officer of each of the executive departments, upon any 
subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.” 
This refers especially to cabinet members, heads of the 
ten departments. At first the Presidents depended 
wholly upon these written opinions. Most Presidents, in 
addition, have had cabinet meetings where discussions 
and votes have occurred. Later we shall study much 
more about the cabinet. 

Reprieves and Pardons. Persons convicted by fed¬ 
eral courts and by military courts may be pardoned 
(freed) by the President, or the execution of their sen¬ 
tence may be postponed, that is, reprieves granted. 

Treaties. Agreements with one or more foreign na¬ 
tions are made by the President, usually through the 
State Department. Before these treaties are in force 
they must be approved by the Senate, a two-thirds vote 
being required. Of course the government of the other 
countries affected must also approve the treaty. 

Appointments. Representatives to other countries 
are appointed by the President and approved by the 
Senate. These make up what we call the “Diplomatic 
Corps.” To the larger and more important nations we 
send Ambassadors. To the others we send Ministers, 
and to the important cities we send Consids. Other na¬ 
tions send similar representatives to our country. 

Other officials not otherwise provided for are to be 
appointed by the President or by some one empowered 
by him to make such appointments. If vacancies occur 
when Congress is not in session, his appointees take of¬ 
fice at once and hold it until the Senate has acted upon 
the approval of his appointment. These are called recess 
appointments. 

Messages. Section 3 says, “He shall from time to 
time give to Congress information of the state of the 
Union, and recommend to their consideration such meas- 




You and Your National Government 


21 


ures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;” . . . . 
This has been a very important part of the President’s 
work and influence. At the beginning of each session of 
Congress his message outlines conditions and needs that 
Congress should consider. It suggests the President’s 
views. At any time during a session when special need 
arises the President may address a message to Con¬ 
gress. Sometimes he sends it to be read in Congress 
and sometimes he appears in person to read it to the 
two houses meeting together. 

Calling and Adjourning Congress . In addition to 
the regular sessions of Congress specified in the Consti¬ 
tution the President may call a special session. This is 
sometimes done to care for an emergency or for some 
important work that was left unfinished. If the two 
houses can not agree on an adjournment date the Presi¬ 
dent may adjourn them. 

Receiving Diplomats. Official representatives of 
foreign countries are received by the President. This 
is required by the Constitution. These official relations 
have much to do with peace and harmony among nations. 

Impeachment. The President can be removed 
from office only for “treason, bribery, or other high 
crimes and misconduct.” This process is called im¬ 
peachment. As we have learned, the House, by a ma¬ 
jority vote, may bring impeachment proceedings be¬ 
fore the Senate. If two-thirds of the senators present 
vote to confirm the charges of the House the President 
is impeached and removed from office. Only Andrew 
Johnson has been impeached, and the Senate lacked 
one vote of confirming, so he was not removed from 
office. 

The President’s Cabinet. The President personally 
can not look after the vast work of his office, so the 
greater part of this work is done through the execu¬ 
tive departments whose heads compose what is called 
the Cabinet. 

These men are appointed by the President with 
the consent of the Senate and they advise him on na¬ 
tional matters, as well as look after the duties of their 
departments. 

The Constitution does not provide for the Cabinet 
except in the first clause of Section 2 (Article II) 
where the President is required to ask opinions of 
“principal officers of Executive Departments.” In 
keeping with this suggestion Congress has from time 
to time created the present ten departments. State, 
Treasury, and War were created in 1789. The posi¬ 
tions of Attorney General and Postmaster General 
were created by the first Congress, though they did 
not at first form part of the cabinet. Those added later 


were: Navy, 1798; Interior, 1849; Agriculture, 1898; 
Commerce, 1903; and, Labor, 1913. (2). 

Departments. It is important to understand the 
relationship of the various departments to the President 
and to the whole government. It is well at this time to 
notice some of the most important phases of these ten 
departments. The heads of all but two (Postmaster 
General and Attorney General) are called Secretaries, 
though their work is not what we usually think as secre¬ 
tarial. They are usually of the same party as the Presi¬ 
dent. They are selected because of their recognized lead¬ 
ership in the party and the nation and often (though 
not often enough) because of special fitness to head their 
departments. They usually remain in office through the 
President’s term but may be removed by him at any time 
without Senate approval. Each has important assistants 
who usually hold on from one administration to another 
and have most of the responsibility and work. 

State. This department might more accurately be 
called the Department of Foreign Affairs. If both Presi¬ 
dent and Vice President were to die the Secretary of 
State would become President. Though six Presidents 
and six Vice Presidents have died in office, in no term 
have both died. 

Our relations with other countries are handled by 
the State Department. Interests of Americans abroad 
are also under its care. The Secretary of State keeps 
original copies of all laws and treaties, and he affixes the 
Great Seal of the United States to official papers. 

Treasury. A great variety of duties are directed 
by the Secretary of the Treasury. His department coins 
and prints money; collects federal taxes; borrows and 
lends money for the nation; and controls federal banks. 
Other duties are Secret Service, Health and Quarantine, 
Life Saving Service, and the Erecting of Public Build¬ 
ings. As other new departments are created some of 
these duties may be transferred. 

War. The Army, military academy, camps, and 
military trading establishments come under this depart¬ 
ment. Supervision of river and harbor improvements 
and bridging of navigable rivers are also its duties. 
These are related to defense of the country. Ter¬ 
ritorial possessions come under the Department of War. 

Attorney General. This official is the chief legal ad¬ 
viser of the United States. He advises the President 
and other federal officials as to the meaning of laws. 
He represents the United States in court and he enforces 
federal laws. In each state there are marshals and at¬ 
torneys to represent this department in enforcing law 
and convicting criminals in that state. In Oklahoma 










22 


Challenge op Democracy 


there are federal marshals and attorneys to handle viola¬ 
tions against federal laws in our state. Those in this de¬ 
partment have offices in the Federal Building on Third 
and North Robinson Avenue, Oklahoma City. 

The Postmaster General has charge of all phases of 
distributing mail for the government and for the people 
of the country. This service becomes more and more ex¬ 
tensive, complicated, and valuable all the time. Rural 
and street delivery, parcels post, air mail, and postal 
savings are of fairly recent date. One text says, “This 
is the largest single business enterprise of any sort in 
the world.” 




FEDERAL BUILDING AT OKLAHOMA CITY 


Navy. Under this Secretary are war vessels of all 
kinds and the sailors that man them; the Naval Academy 
at Annapolis; the Marine Corps; and, all naval yards. 

Both War and Navy Departments now have aircraft. 
Some countries have special cabinet posts to direct the 
air defense. Probably in a few years there may be a 
Secretary of Air Defense in our President’s cabinet. 

Interior. This department has a wide variety of du¬ 
ties. Under it are numerous Bureaus, each in charge of 
a specific service. Some of these direct the work of 
Indians, national parks, federal lands, geological surveys, 
mines, education, and pensions. 

Agriculture naturally adjusts the lives and interests 
of farmers, stockmen, and foresters. Experiment sta¬ 
tions come under the direction of this department. 
Scientific investigations which will improve the produc¬ 
tion and control of the plant and animal life are directed 
by this department and the publications are distributed 
free or at a very low T cost. 

The Weather Bureau is an important service of this 


department. Its records and reports are of great help 
to those who travel and to those whose occupations are 
affected by weather changes. 

The United States has about 160 million acres in 
its national forests. The care of these have much to do 
with the preservation of wild life, with the control of 
rainfall and floods, and with providing recreation places 
for Americans. 

The federal government shares with the states in 
the cost of constructing and maintaining some highways. 
This comes under the Department of Agriculture and is 
now one of the most important services of government. 

Commerce. One of the most important duties of the 
Department of Commerce is the direction of the Census 
Bureau. Ever since 1790 the United States has con¬ 
ducted a complete census every ten years. In April, 1930, 
more thah one hundred thousand persons were employed 
in the taking of the census. This study becomes more 
and more complex. 

The Bureau of Standards has done much to improve 
the quality of manufactured goods. 

The Bureau of Patents protects inventors in the 
manufacture and sale of their inventions. Authors are 
similarly protected by securing copyrights through the 
Library of Congress. 

Labor. The most recent department is that of labor. 
Miss Perkins, the first woman to hold a cabinet post, 
was appointed by President Roosevelt as Secretary 
of Labor. 

The Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of 
Naturalization are directed by this Department. They 
have the responsibility of protecting both the immigrant 
and the country from violations of the Immigration 
Laws. 

In this Department are the Children’s Bureau (1912) 
and the Woman’s Bureau (1920). The former studies 
such problems as orphanages, juvenile courts, child em¬ 
ployment, children’s health, etc. The latter is concerned 
with improvement of conditions of wage-earning women. 

Proposed Departments. For many years there have 
been extensive efforts made to create new departments. 
In some cases they would care for more recent develop¬ 
ments of our governmental service, such as aviation. In 
others they would control a part of what is now another 
department. This is especially true of the proposed 
Department of Education, which is constantly being 
urged by many educators. In more cases the proposed 
departments would include phases now handled by dif¬ 
ferent departments, as was true when the Department 





















You and Your National Government 


23 


of Labor was organized. Congresswoman Ruth Bryan 

Owen proposed the Department of Home and Child. 

Activities : 

1. Organize the class into a mock presidential 
nominating convention, adopt a platform, and 
nominate candidates for President and Vice 
President. (See Scholastic, Spring, 1936) 

2. From the last World Almanac, or from other 
sources, such as magazines and books, find the 
names and two duties of each of the present 
members of the President’s cabinet. 

3. Secure a copy of a picture of the President of 
the United States. Paste it in your notebook. 
Write below it a brief biographical sketch of 
the President. 

4. Have a session of the Cabinet. Let each mem¬ 
ber discuss problems of his department. Limit 
debate. 

5. Paste in your notebook a news item or two re¬ 
lating to some activity of the President. 

6. Look in Hill’s Community Life and Civic Prob¬ 
lems, page 491, for a calendar of the Presi¬ 
dent’s engagements. 

7. Debate the following question: Resolved, that 
the President’s job is too big for one man. 

8. Debate: Resolved, that the President and Vice 
President should be elected by direct popular 
vote. 

Questions : 

1. By whom are candidates for President and Vice 
President chosen? 

2. Where were the last national conventions of the 
two major political parties held? When? 

3. To how many electors is each state entitled? 

4. If no candidate receives a majority of the elec¬ 
toral votes, who chooses the President? 

5. What is a patent? A copyright? 

6. What change has the 20th amendment made in 
the date when the President takes office? 

7. What qualifications does the Constitution re¬ 
quire the President to have? 

8. How many Vice Presidents have become Presi¬ 
dents without election to the office? 

9. Why is it important that the President should 
be a man of high ideals, high character, and 
high morals? 

10. How has the radio modified the Presidential 
campaign? 

Terms we should know: 

Nominating Convention 
White House 
electoral college, electors 


inauguration 
Cabinet 
Civil Service 

Interstate Commerce Commission 
Federal Trade Commission 
Federal Communication Commission 
impeachment 

I. References : 

(1) The President: 

Faith and Edgerton, 211-217 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, 394- 
399. 

Jenks and Smith, 61-63 

Magruder, 176-196 

(2) The Cabinet: 

Edmonson and Dondineau, 326-332 

Faith and Edgerton, 218-219 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, 373-4. 

(3) Departments: 

Hughes, 399-400 

Faith and Edgerton, 219-236 

General References : 

Jenks and Smith, 24-34 

Hughes, Civic Training, 245-260 

Maxey, You and Your Government, 421-463 

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH 

Besides the Executive Department with the Presi¬ 
dent at its Head and the Legislative Department (Con¬ 
gress), the Constitution provides for a Judicial Depart¬ 
ment. Article III, Section 1, reads, “The Judiciary 
power of the United States shall be vested in one Su¬ 
preme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress 
may from time to time ordain and establish.’’ 

We have two distinct Court Systems, that of each 
state and that of the United States. You are much 
more likely to come in contact with your state courts 
than you are with the federal courts, because most of 
the disputes of every day life are regulated by state 
law. The Federal Courts deal only with disputes be¬ 
tween states, disputes over the understanding of the 
Constitution, and crimes against Federal law. 

This Federal court system consists of District 
Courts, Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme 
Court. 

District Courts. There are now 145 district courts 
in 8£ districts. In Oklahoma there are three districts. 
The Eastern district holds court in Muskogee, the 
Northern district in Tulsa, and the Western district in 
Oklahoma City. There are only three districts buf 
there are four federal district judges. Recently the 










24 


Challenge of Democracy 


fourth judge has been appointed as a roving judge to 
serve over the state at large. Each state has from 
one to seventeen judges, depending on the population 
of the state. Any case in which a state is a party or 
which involves federal laws originates in one of these 
district courts. 

Circuit Courts of Appeals. Congress has created 
circuit courts of appeals and from time to time in¬ 
creased the number of them. In 1929 the tenth circuit 
court was created, including the states of Oklahoma, 
Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Any decision of a 
district court may be appealed to a circuit court of ap¬ 
peals, and most of the cases are finally settled by them. 

Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was created 
in 1789 with six justices. The number has gradually 
been increased until there are nine, one of whom is des¬ 
ignated as Chief Justice. 

Federal judges are appointed by the President for 
life, but they retire when they reach the age of seventy. 
There have been only eleven Chief Justices of the Su¬ 
preme Court in 146 years. One of them, John Marshall, 
held that position for thirty-four years; another for 
twenty-eight years. Charles E. Hughes has been Chief 
Justice since 1930. Preceding him was ex-president 
Taft, who held the position for nine years. These 
Justices get $20,000 a year, the Chief Justice receiving 
$500 extra. 

Most federal judges are mature men richly experi¬ 
enced in law service, and of high repute throughout 
the nation. (For present justices see latest edition 
of the World Almanac.) 

One of the most attractive federal buildings in 
Washington was finished in 1935. In this building 
the Supreme Court holds sessions from October to 
May of each year. During much of the rest of the 
year the judges are studying important cases and 
preparing their decisions. Only the most difficult and 
important cases are appealed to this Court. Their main 
duty is to interpret the Constitution and to decide what 
acts of Congress are Constitutional. An important decis¬ 
ion of the Supreme Court which has had great effect on 
most people in recent days was that of May 27, 1935, 
when they unanimously decided the National Recovery 
Administration unconstitutional. 

Special Courts. In addition to this regular system 
of courts are some special courts which have charge of 
particular kinds of cases. Most important of these are 
the Court of Claims, the Court of Customs, and the 
Court of Patent Appeals. 


Under the Attorney General’s office we mentioned 
the positions of federal attorneys and marshals. These 
work in connection with the federal courts. 

Activities : 

1. Give an example of a case which would come 
before a federal District Court, a federal Cir¬ 
cuit Court of Appeals, and the United States 
Supreme Court. 

2. Name members of the United States Supreme 
Court. 

3. Find a picture of the Supreme Court for the 
bulletin board or your note book. 

4. Find an interesting fact about a member of the 
Supreme Court, or an article in the paper. 

5. What district judge lives in Oklahoma City? 
Tell something about him. 

6. Plan to visit the Federal building, see the court 
rooms, and learn about other important activi¬ 
ties. 

Exercises : 

1. Why does a Federal judge hold his office for 
life or until he retires? 

2. What is meant by original jurisdiction? 

3. What is meant by appellate jurisdiction? 

4. What is the salary of the United States Su¬ 
preme Court Justices? 

5. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States 
Supreme Court? 

6. Name three officers of the federal District 
Court. 

7. What court has appellate and final jurisdiction 
in all cases that do not have a question of con¬ 
stitutionality? 

8. How many members are there in the United 
States Supreme Court? 

9. How many circuits are there in the Circuit 
Court of Appeals? 

10. How is a federal judge chosen? 

11. What is the difference in a trial in a federal 
District Court and a trial in a Circuit Court? 

References : 

Edmonson and Dondineau, 415-416 

Faith and Edgerton, 237-242 

Haskins, American Government, 285-302 

Hill, The Life and Work of the Citizen, 161-63 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, 351-86 

Hughes, R. O., Civic Training, 260-264 

Jenks and Smith, 166-169 

Manley, 87-91, 97-98 

Maxey, 446-451 






You and Your National Government 


25 


AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION 

Article V explains how the Constitution may be 
amended, or changed. When two-thirds of the mem¬ 
bers of both houses vote for a proposed amendment it 
is submitted to the states for ratification. This is done 
in the legislature or in special convention for that pur¬ 
pose. Usually it is done in the legislature. 

Sometimes it takes several years for all the states 
to act on an amendment. When as many as three- 
fourths of the states (36) have ratified it, the amend¬ 
ment becomes a part of the Constitution. 

Thousands of amendments have been proposed, but 
only twenty-six have been submitted by Congress. Of 
these only twenty-one have been ratified by three-fourths 
of the states. Usually a limited number of years is 
specified for this ratification. In recent years the Child 
Labor Law Amendment has gradually been ratified by 
more and more of the states but has never reached the 
required three-fourths, and probably will not within 
the time specified. 

We have already studied about the first ten 
amendments (Bill of Rights) which were submitted and 
ratified within the first two years. The 12th Amend¬ 
ment we notice in connection with the election of the 
President. The 13th abolished slavery. The 14th and 
15th, ratified shortly after the Civil War, provided 
citizenship and voting privileges for the emancipated 
slaves. 

The last six amendments have been ratified in the 
last twenty-five years. The 16th provided for federal 
income tax. The 17th changed the method of electing 
senators. The 18th Amendment, ratified in 1930, pro¬ 
vided federal prohibition of intoxicating liquors. This 
was repealed by the 21st Amendment in December, 1933. 
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 
all the states. This was ratified in 1920, though several 
states provided woman suffrage long before that. The 
20th Amendment we have noticed before as the “Lame 
Duck” Amendment. 

Government must change to meet the changes in 
the economic and social life of its citizens and thus 
we may change by evolution (amending the constitu¬ 
tion) instead of by revolution (destroying it). 

Special References: 

*Bloom— The Story of the Constitution (U. S. Ses- 
quicentennial Commission) 

Magruder, American Government 

Southworth, The Common Sense of the Constitution 


BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS 

Some important agencies of our federal government 
have arisen from recent conditions in our country. Some 
of these must be kept out of politics and are of such 
special nature that they do not fit into any one of the 
ten departments. To care for them Congress has cre¬ 
ated special Boards and Commissions. 

Commissioners for District of Columbia. Remem¬ 
ber that the District of Columbia is not part of any 
state. It is controlled by three Commissioners, two of 
them appointed by the President and approved by the 
Senate and a third one a high army officer selected by 
the President. This Commission has charge of govern¬ 
ment in the city of Washington, including schools and 
health. , ( 

Civil Service Commission. President Jackson made 
popular the policy “to the victor belongs the spoils.” 
This meant that with every change of administration 
thousands of important places changed hands. This did 
not improve the public service. In 1883 Congress created 
the Civil Service Commission. It consists of three mem¬ 
bers appointed by the President. Nearly a half million 
federal positions are filled from applicants who have 
passed the examination prepared by the Commission. 
Usually those highest on the list are selected. United 
States Veterans, and especially disabled veterans, are 
given preference. About 1700 kinds of work come under 
the Civil Service. This plan has improved the Service 
and protected deserving employes from loss of posi¬ 
tion because of politics. 

Federal Banking Board. The Federal Banking 
Board oversees the federal banks. Since 1913 there 
have been 12 Federal Reserve bank districts, and these 
come under the Federal Reserve Board. 

The Interstate Commerce Commission v/as created 
in 1887. It now has eleven members, appointed for a 
term of seven years. It has power to regulate the rates 
of railroads, telegraph and telephone lines, and express 
companies that do business in two or more states. 

The Federal Radio Commission was created in 
1927. There were then over 700 radio stations, and the 
number was constantly increasing. This number must be 
limited. Stations are now licensed for a period of years 
and assigned a wave length and portion of the day when 
they may operate. Their programs may be supervised by 
this Commission. 






26 


Challenge of Democracy 


Federal Power Commission was created in 1930. 
It has control of the development of power from nav¬ 
igable streams. It investigates sources of power and 
the development of them. As the manufacture and sale 
of electric current has become so important in recent 
years this has become a very important phase of life 
in America. 

Veterans’ Administration. This was created in 
1930 to care for such phases as pensions, soldiers’ 
homes, veterans’ relief, etc. 

The Shipping Board was created since the World 
War to help American shipping companies that operate 
on the seas in competition with ships of other countries. 
They may better build their business under federal pro¬ 
tection and direction. 

Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade 
Commission was established in 1914 to prevent unfair 
competition in commerce and industry. It has power to 
examine the records of business firms and to conduct such 
investigations as the President or Congress may direct. 

Federal Farm Board was created in 1929 to de¬ 
velop the sale of agricultural products. It makes and 
enforces plans for the regulation of the amount of farm 
crops and live stock produced. In the last few years 
farmers have secured federal permission to plant cer¬ 
tain amounts of cotton, wheat, and other crops. 

References : 

Hughes, 368-79 

Jenks and Smith, 158-9 

King and Bernard, 330 

FEDERAL FINANCES 

Taxation Always a Problem. One of the oldest 
but one of the most important problems of govern¬ 
ment is that of taxation. It has often been the cause 
of revolution and bloodshed, and never was it more of 
a problem than it is today. 

The nations of the world are paying more in taxes 
than ever before and even in the United States tax¬ 
ation has become our most important national question. 

You know that it is impossible to have something 
for nothing. Our government gives us protection, 
schools, libraries, parks, and many other services. 
We can not have these without paying for them, so 
we must be willing to be taxed for their support. The 
good citizen is willing to pay his fair share of taxes. 

How Our Taxes Should be Spent. But since this 
money comes from our own pockets and that of our 
neighbors we should insist that it be spent wisely 
and effectively and on something needed for the public 


good. We should see that we get full vaiue for our 
money. 

There are many honest people, but there are also 
too many people who are careless, wasteful, extrava¬ 
gant, and dishonest when they spend Uncle Sam’s 
money. It is a test of character to take care of other 
people’s money, and those who do so should be more 
careful than with their own. For this reason we 
should see that honest and honorable men are elected 
to public office. 

Where These Taxes Come From. It is interesting 
to note the sources of federal revenue. Most impor¬ 
tant is the income tax, which was authorized by the 
16th Amendment. In some recent years this has pro¬ 
vided nearly half of the federal revenue, and every 
year it supplies a large portion. This is paid by a 
small per cent of our population, and is intended to 
be in proportion to ability to pay. Small incomes are 
not taxed but large ones are assessed as high as 
twenty-five or thirty per cent. 

Internal Revenue is another important source. 
Taxes on tobacco, liquor, and other types of merchan¬ 
dise, (such as mechanical refrigerators and radios), 
as well as amusements, provide this revenue. This 
source of government income has been greatly in¬ 
creased in the past few years in order to try to meet 
the increased expenditures. It has increased from two 
and one-half billion dollars in 1934 to over four and 
one-half billion in 1937. There was an increase of 
thirty-two per cent in the single year of 1937. 

On much goods brought from other countries our 
government collects “duties.” This is what we call 
tariff. There are about two thousand taxable articles 
which come under this head. In recent years the 
total receipts from this source have been almost half 
a billion dollars per year. 

Other sources of federal income are receipts from 
the Panama Canal, inheritance taxes, postal receipts, 
and fines. 

The Government a Big Business. Uncle Sam is a 
big business man. Federal expenditures - for the year 
ending June 30, 1937 were more than eight billion dol¬ 
lars ($8,000,000,000) which was more than our revenue 
from taxation. 

When a government spends more than its rev¬ 
enue it must borrow money, just as a person must do 
in the same situation, and if this continues the gov¬ 
ernment goes deeper in debt. The United States bor¬ 
rows from its own citizens and in return for the 
money gives a bond which is a promise to pay at a 
future fixed time and which bears a certain rate of 
interest. 






You and Your National Government 


27 


The Public Debt. From early days the govern¬ 
ment has had a debt which has gradually grown larg¬ 
er. Wars have been the chief cause, and although this 
debt was sometimes reduced after large expenditures, it 
has never been entirely paid because people have been 
glad to lend their money to the government. 

In recent years our national debt has grown by 
leaps and bounds because of the World War and the 
Depression. Let us consider some of these figures and 
see if we can understand what they mean. 

Before the World War our public debt stood a lit¬ 
tle over one billion dollars. In 1916 and 1917 it more 
than doubled and within a few years the costs of the 
war had added twenty-five billion dollars to this public 
debt. ($25,000,000,000) 

By 1930 this had been reduced somewhat but so 
much has been spent in recent years in trying to re¬ 
cover from the depression that the national debt was 
over thirty-six billions ($36,000,000,000) in 1937. (See 
if we can find its present amount.) 

The interest which must be paid for the use of 
this money which it borrows is more than $860,000,- 
000 a year and adds greatly to the taxes which we must 
pay. 

Under the “New Deal” policies, recovery and re¬ 
lief agencies have been authorized to spend millions 
of dollars on different kinds of work projects, and 
the government has followed a new policy of trying 
to furnish jobs for all the unemployed. 

Activities : 

1. Make a blackboard list of services rendered by 
the government. 

2. From what sources does the government secure 
its income? 

3. In view of the fact that we are still paying for 
the Civil War discuss the cost of the war. 

4. List several of the World War expenses which 
added to the national debt. 

5. Show how the present war scare has increased 
our spending. 

6. Compare receipts of the Federal government 
with expenditures of government last year. 

7. People talk about “the government paying” for 
this and that. Who is the government? Who 
is paying the bill? 

8. Name some amusements on which you pay a 
federal tax. 

9. Should we hand down a heavy burden of debt 
to the next generation? What is the result in a 
family when that happens? 

10. What is meant by the word “graft”? 


11. Why should we insist on honesty and efficiency 
in administration of public office? 

12. Give some illustrations of wastefulness and 
carelessness in the spending of public money? 
Of economy and efficiency? 

Terms to explain: 

taxation 

internal revenue 
tariff 

national debt 
interest 
revenue 
income tax 
inheritance tax 
national bonds 

References : 

Hughes, Civic Training, 306-321 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, 469-483 

POLITICAL PARTIES 

Democracy challenges you to play clean politics. 
Authoritarian nations do not tolerate rivalry between 
political parties. All Democratic nations have po¬ 
litical parties and great rivalry between them. A 
citizen needs to know about these parties and about 
election laws if he is going to be an intelligent voter 
because parties can be used for both good and harm. 

Political parties started early in our national life, 
the first ones forming because of the argument over 
adopting the Constitution. All down through our his¬ 
tory we have had two main parties. The names and 
principles for which they stand have changed from 
time to time, and there have been short lived smaller 
parties, but for over seventy-five years Democrats and 
Republicans have held leading place. 

Why do we have political parties? Probably the 
principal reason is that parties help voters concen¬ 
trate their support on certain candidates and on cer¬ 
tain public questions. A single voter can accomplish 
little by himself, but, “In union there is strength,” 
and so through organizations of voters which we call 
political parties there is more enthusiasm, more wide¬ 
spread interest, more discussion of public questions, 
and more money to pay big bills. 

These two large parties have very thorough or- 
' ganizations which begin in a small district called a 
precinct. There are many precincts in our county. 
Each party holds precinct meetings called caucuses 
and elects committeemen and delegates to the Coun¬ 
ty Convention. The County Convention elects a per¬ 
manent committee and sends delegates to the State 










28 


Challenge of Democracy 


Convention. The State Convention elects the State 
Committee, sends delegates to the National Conven¬ 
tion, and draws up the platform of the party in that 
state. 

Most of the work of the party is carried on 
through the network of committees which has already 
been mentioned, beginning with the precinct and end¬ 
ing with the powerful National Committee at the top. 
This organization we call the party machine. 

The National Nominating Convention. Every four 
years, in June or July, the National Party Conventions 
are held for the purpose of nominating the candidates 
for President and Vice President. 

There is great enthusiasm and excitement at these 
conventions, and now that we have the radio, the 
whole country is excited until the candidates are nom¬ 
inated. With all its faults and in spite of the corrupt 
practices which we do not approve, no better way 
has been found of getting candidates before the peo¬ 
ple. 

Membership in any party is entirely voluntary 
but it is the duty of each citizen to take an active and 
intelligent interest in his government. This duty can 
usually best be exercised through the political party. 
Good or bad government begins in the precinct at the 
foundation of the organization. Most people ignore 
this and seldom attend the caucuses, hence there is 
a splendid opportunity for those who have selfish and 
unscrupulous interests to get into control of the or¬ 
ganization. When this happens our cities and states 
have wasteful, extravagant, and inefficient government. 
This group of politicians is often so well organized 
that we call it a “ring,” and the leader of the group, 
a “boss.” 

When a president is to be elected there is great 
excitement and almost everyone votes. In city and 
county elections many people do not vote; yet the 
local election is just as important if we are to have 
government of, by, and for the people. If we do not 
want government of, by, and for grafters, good citi¬ 
zens must keep active in precinct and county political 
organizations. 

The good citizen should always vote. That is 
one of our fundamental duties and no excuse should 
keep us from doing so except when it is impossible. 
Do you know any of the reasons why some people 
seldom vote? Do they seem good reasons? 

Questions: 

1. Name the first political parties. 

2. What new party has been recently organized? 

3. Can you name any other parties? 

4. What causes political parties? 


5. What do we mean by “voting straight”? 

6. Is voting a straight ticket an indication of the 
best citizenship? 

7. What do we mean by a party platform? A 
“plank”? 

8. What is a “boss”? A “ring”? 

9. One of the big problems of government is to 
keep grafters and selfish politicians from con¬ 
trolling the party. Can you make any sugges¬ 
tions? 

Terms : 

Party machine 

Nominating conventions 

Ticket 

Platform 

Plank 

Caucus 

Precinct 

Boss 

Graft 

Ring 

References : 

Capen and Melchior, 519-523 
Faith and Edgerton, 71-79 
Hughes, Civic Training, 209-226 
Jenks and Smith, 91-103 
Manley, 157-183 

THE NEW DEAL 

Great changes have taken place in the last fifty 
years in our ways of living. This is because of our 
increasing use of machinery. The World War hastened 
some of these changes, destroyed much wealth, and 
burdened the nations with debts which they have been 
unable to pay. Finally a great depression swept over 
the United States. 

In October, 1929, millions of dollars were lost by 
citizens of America. Stocks fell in value, factories 
closed, banks and business houses failed, and mil¬ 
lions of people were out of work. Many could not pay 
their taxes, which meant that there was not enough 
money to support schools and pay the expenses of gov¬ 
ernment. Conditions became so bad that thousands 
could not provide the necessities of life—food, cloth¬ 
ing and shelter. 

In the past our government has had little control 
over the way people made a living, but as time passed 
and conditions became worse, the citizens demanded 
that the government do something to end the depres¬ 
sion. 

In 1932 the people elected Franklin D. Roosevelt 
as president. He promised to give the poor man a 







You and Your National Government 


29 


“New Deal” in government. The purpose of this New 
Deal was to provide economic security. By economic 
security we mean that it shall be possible for every 
person to have the opportunity to work for food, shel¬ 
ter, and clothing for himself and family, and that he 
will not be left penniless in old age. 

Immediately after his inauguration, President 
Roosevelt called to Washington experts in various 
lines of work to help set up and carry out his New 
Deal policies. Because many of these people were 
college and university professors and experts, they 
were spoken of as the “Brain Trust,” or “Brain Trust¬ 
ers.” 

Congress passed the National Industrial Recovery 
Act (N. I. R. A.) and many new agencies and boards 
were created to help the President in the recovery 
program. Banks were reorganized and made safer 
and small deposits insured by the government. 

One of the most important measures enacted was 
the Social Security Act. This promotes individual se¬ 
curity and prevents extreme poverty by providing for: 

(a) Old age pensions. 

(b) Relief for those now dependent 

(c) Unemployment insurance. 

In the Presidential and Congressional election of 
1936 the voters of the United States expressed their 
approval of the New Deal policies by overwhelmingly 
re-electing President Roosevelt and Vice President 
John N. Garner. At the same time a large majority of 
Democrats was elected or re-elected to both houses of 
Congress. 

There has been considerable criticism of the New 
Deal policies. The chief criticisms being the spend¬ 
ing of such large sums of money by the Federal Gov¬ 
ernment, the kinds of projects that have been de¬ 
veloped to give men work, the many governmental 
bureaus and departments that have been created to 
carry out the work, the increase in taxes, and the 
great amount of authority exercised by the President 
in carrying out these policies. 

The New Deal has cost billions of dollars. When 
and how will money be obtained to meet these expen¬ 
ditures? Some has been secured by taxation and 
the sale of government bonds, which, as you know, is 
money borrowed from the people. Financing the 
New Deal has been one of the greatest problems that 
our generation has ever faced, and the debt made 
by the New Deal expenditures will no doubt tax the 
resources of future generations. 

Problems and Activities : 

1. Make a list of some of the “alphabetical agen¬ 
cies,” such as the T. V. A., H. 0. L. C., etc. 


Do you know about the work of any of them? 

2. How has our community benefited from the 
Public Works program? 

3. Discuss the benefits of the C. C. C. from the 
standpoint of 

(a) Effect upon American youth and young 

men. 

(b) Reclamation of poor land. 

(c) Improvement of our forests. 

4. If possible, bring to class and discuss a United 
States Government bond. 

5. Find in the World Almanac or other sources 
the popular vote received by President Roose¬ 
velt in the 1932 and 1936 elections. The elec¬ 
toral vote. 

6. Discuss the reasons why some of the New Deal 
agencies were declared unconstitutional. (A.A.A. 
and N.R.A.) 

7. Has our Federal Government in the past at¬ 
tempted to regulate the economic life of the 
nation? 

Terms : 

economic 
depression 
recession 
inflation 
deflation 
brain trust 
economic security 
Social Security Act 

References : 

Cahill, Vines, Heason, Economic Citizenship, 211- 
221 

Faith and Edgerton, 380-393 

General References—Unit I 
Barker, Dodd, and Webb: The Growth of a Nation 
Barker, Dodd, and Commager: The Building of Our Na¬ 
tion 

Bernard and King: Our Community Life 

Capen and Melchior: My Worth to the World 

Edmonson and Dondineau, Civics Through Problems 

Faith and Edgerton: Our Civic Life 

Freeland and Adams: America and the New Frontier 

Hepner: The Good Citizen 

Hill: Community Life and Civic Problems 

Hughes, R. 0.: Elementary Community Civics 

Hughes, R. 0.: The Civic Training 

Jenks and Smith : We and Our Government 

Manley: The Pursuit of Happiness 

Rugg: A History of American Government and Culture 
World Almanac: 1938 













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UNIT II—YOU AND YOUR STATE 

(6 Weeks) 

Part 1—Geography of Oklahoma 


I sing of you Oklahoma, 

Land of the Red Men; 

Of the Red Earth; 

Of the Red Sun 

Ploughing through a brassy sky; 

Land of the languid, yellow rivers 
Sprawling their sinuous lengths 
Across your billowing bosom; 

Land of the Salt Fork, the Canadian, the Cimarron; 
Land of alkali water, of gypsum water, 

Of salt water, of no water at all! 

Land of black jacks and scrub oaks, 

Of buffalo wallows and cow chips, 

Of cacti and devils’ clows, 

Of coyotes and prairie dogs, 

Of the tall, blossoming yucca and the sweet buffalo 
grass 

Waving in the tireless wind. 

Oh land of far horizons, of radiant dawns, 

Of Youth that dares and Age that waits; 

0 promised Land of Beginning Again: 

Of the Home-seekers’ dreams, 

Of the Boomer, the Sooner, the dreamer, the doer 
Of “free homes”—so dearly bought— 

Land of the “last frontier,” 

“Land of the fair God” 

(And of other gods not so fair—) 

I sing of you, Oklahoma!— Daisy Lemon Coldiron 

Reprinted through courtesy of the author and Kaleidograph Press 

SIZE AND LOCATION OF OKLAHOMA 

Oklahoma is situated in the south-central part of 
the United States. Learn to “bound” it, telling in 
order what two states are on the north, what two on 
the east, what one on the south, and what two on the 
west. Note, too, that Oklahoma City is almost exactly 
at the “geographical center” of the state. 

Oklahoma is a part of the Louisiana Purchase. It3 
southern and western boundaries were determined when 
Texas was formed. The Red River on the west to the 
100th meridian of longitude, and then up that meridian 
to “No Man’s Land”, 36-30 latitude, then west to New 
Mexico makes a long border between our state and 
Texas. The 37th parallel of latitude makes our entire 
northern line. What fact in history settled that line 
as the southern boundary of Kansas? Why was that 
long “pan-handle” area which now includes Cimarron, 


Texas, and Beaver counties, not included in previous 
states, left as “No Man’s Land”, and then attached to 
the new state? What other states and countries are 
in the same latitude? In the same longitude? 

There are sixteen states larger than Oklahoma. It 
is a little larger than Missouri, smaller than Kansas, 
and larger than any state east of the Mississippi Riv¬ 
er. It contains 70,057 square miles (nearly forty-five 
million acres). What other interesting facts or com¬ 
parisons can you find about Oklahoma’s size and 
shape. Trace the boundary (with something that will 
not make a mark) or sketch the outline enough times 
that you will retain a vivid and accurate mental pic¬ 
ture of the outline of Oklahoma. 

RIVERS OF OKLAHOMA 

Notice that all the rivers flow in a southeasterly 
direction. Four rivers, entering the state as the Ark¬ 
ansas, Cimarron, North Canadian, and South Canad¬ 
ian, finally unite to leave the state as one stream, the 
Arkansas. The Cimarron flows into the Arkansas just 
west of Tulsa; the North Canadian into the Souths 
Canadian near Eufaula. Notice, too, that where the 
Arkansas crosses into the state of Arkansas (at Fort 
Smith) is one of the two breaks in the east line of the 
state. The Washita is the only major stream that rises 
in the state. It flows into the Red River near Durant. 
The North Fork of the Red cuts off what used to be 
Greer County (now Greer, Jackson, and Harmon), 
once claimed by Texas. Other minor streams are of 
interest to various regions of the state. 

Streams are of six main uses. In some states the 
streams that drop steeply through mountains furnish 
inexpensive power, formerly by turning water-wheels, 
more recently by making electric current. None of Ok¬ 
lahoma’s streams are good for this. 

In former times streams were important for trans¬ 
portation, though that is declining in all regions. The 
rivers of Arkansas, and extending part way across 
what is now Oklahoma, were once used for freighting, 
but are no longer an important means of transporta¬ 
tion. Most of them are too shallow and depend too 
much upon the season and upon rainfall. 

In some states the rivers are tapped to irrigate 
the valley farms. Very little has been done in that 
line in Oklahoma, though plans are under way to dam 


( 31 ) 




32 


Challenge of Democracy 



some of the streams and provide enough irrigation 
water for the nearby regions. 

The Grand River in northeastern Oklahoma is 
being developed for power. 

The Grand River Dam Authority provides that the 
federal government will develop this project. $20,000,- 
000 has been appropriated for land purchase sur¬ 
rounding the dam site and 58,000 acres, mostly in Del¬ 
aware county, have been purchased. Work on the 
project started early in 1938. 

Streams often furnish the water supply of cities, 
through lakes made by catching the stream flow dur¬ 
ing rainy seasons. As you know, Oklahoma City de¬ 
pends upon the North Canadian. The water of Okla¬ 
homa streams is usually “hard,” making it less valu¬ 
able for domestic purposes. 

Most towns and cities discharge their sewage into 
streams, a convenience for the towns, but one that 
adds to the problems of communities farther down the 
stream. More modern methods of sewage disposal 
are improving this, as we shall learn in Unit III. 

A sixth value of streams is recreation. Boating, 
swimming, and fishing add much to the pleasure of 
people who can reach the streams. Except in the east¬ 
ern portion of the state the major streams are unsuited 
to such recreation. 

In the western half of the state the rivers are 
usually broad and shallow, have low, changing banks, 


have much “quick” sand, and often cease to flow dur¬ 
ing the summer months. They are hard to ford and 
hard to bridge. Their banks have few trees, which 
are usually small and unprofitable. Farther east the 
channels narrow, the streams deepen, the flow is more 
steady and abundant, and the banks are often lined 
with borders of sizeable trees. 

Oklahoma City is especially interested in the 
North Canadian. Notice how long and narrow and 
crooked it is. Observe the bend that it makes through 
the city. What has been done to control the flood 
problem? What small streams flow through or near 
the city? 

SURFACE OF OKLAHOMA 

Oklahoma has three interesting groups of moun¬ 
tains and is in the border of another. Compared with 
ranges of mountains farther west and farther east in 
the United States, these are quite low, and might more 
properly be called hills. But, compared with the re¬ 
mainder of the area of our state, they are mountains. 
In the northeastern section, north of the Arkansas and 
east of the Neosho and Verdigris, is an extension of 
the Ozarks, here called the Ozark Plateau. 

In the southeastern part are the Ouachita Moun¬ 
tains (pronounced the same as Washita), which lie 
partly in Arkansas. As part of these, are smaller 













You and Your State 


33 



TURNER FALLS, NEAR DAVIS 


ranges, such as the Kiamichis, which are becoming 
famous for their beauty and as recreation and vaca¬ 
tion resorts. CCC work has recently done much to 
make these regions more accessible and enjoyable. 

Highway 77 makes the Arbuckle Mountains with¬ 
in easy driving distances of Oklahoma City. This is 
a small group between Ardmore and Pauls Valley, ricn 
in geological specimens and studies, and convenient 
for visits by geology classes of Oklahoma colleges. 
The region of Turner Falls in the edge of these moun¬ 
tains, and Platt National Park, at Sulphur, are in¬ 
creasingly sought by Oklahoma residents. These re¬ 
sorts have recently been greatly improved by CCC 
labor. 


Farther west, between Lawton and Mangum, are 
the Wichitas. Much of this area is in a federal forest 
preserve, where trees and other native vegetation as 
well as wild animals, are protected and developed. 
Mount Scott and Medicine Park are well known to 
Oklahomans. Lakes, streams, and amphitheaters have 
been built and improved in this region to add to the 
recreation value. The mountains make! natural targets 
for practice of the United States Artillery at Ft. Sill, 
near Lawton. 

The Dodge-Lackey Geography shows ten physio¬ 
graphic regions in Oklahoma, including the four 
mountain regions mentioned above. These are either 
plains or hill country. The extreme northwest counties 
are called the High Plains region. The land is high, 
relatively level, and streams are few. Rainfall is light. 
These counties are rather sparsely populated. 

The Gypsum Hills Region includes all or most 
of the following counties: Harmon, Greer, Beckham,. 
Washita, Custer, Dewey, Woodward, and Woods, and 
parts of some of the adjoining counties. This regiom 
is somewhat less level than the High Plains, but is 
generally only slightly rolling. Most of the land can 
be pastured or cultivated. Deficient rainfall is a prob¬ 
lem. There is much gypsum and sandrock. There 
are several good-sized towns but no large ones. The 
country is somewhat more densely populated than the 
counties farther northwest. 

The Red Beds Plain Region extends in a wide belt 
from Kansas to Texas and occupies more than a fourth 
of the state. About twenty of the central counties, 
including Oklahoma County, are in this area. This is 
the leading agricultural region, contains several large 
towns, and has more densely populated rural areas. 

The eastern two-fifths of the state, beside the 
mountainous regions, include: the Sandstone Hills 
Region, from Osage County south and widening out 
to about the Ada-Tishomingo line; the Red River Re¬ 
gion, running along the Red River from Arkansas, one- 
to-two counties wide, and reaching half way across 
the state; and the Prairie Plains Region, includ¬ 
ing about a dozen of the northeastern counties. These 
last three regions, together with the Ozark Plains, 
Ouachita Mountains, and Arbuckle Mountains, make 
up much of what was Indian Territory. Much of this 
land was formerly wooded. Streams are more numerous 
and flow a larger part of the year, and, rainfall is more 
abundant. In general, farming, mining, and lumber¬ 
ing are the industries. 










34 


Challenge of Democracy 



CANYON IN BLAINE COUNTY 


CLIMATE 

Oklahoma’s winters are usually short and mild, 
while the summers are rather long and usually hot 
and dry. In spite of the numerous and often sudden 
changes the climate can not be called severe. 

The rainfall varies from less than 18 inches in 
the extreme northwest to more than 50 inches in 
some eastern portions. In most regions the rains are 
mot well spaced through the growing season, often 
■causing excessive moisture in the planting season and 
(deficient moisture during part of the growing season. 
'The dry spells may come at various times of the year. 
One of Oklahoma’s problems is to discover crops and 
farming methods that will be best adapted to the 
moisture situation and to store water for irrigation. 

The average annual rainfall in Oklahoma City 
is 31.6 inches. The most is in May and the least in 
February. Over a period of 44 years Oklahoma City 
has averaged 82 days a year when there was as much 
as .01 inch of precipitation. The average has been 
9 foggy days a year, 86 cloudy, and 109 partly cloudy. 
Your teacher has Weather Bureau bulletins which 
give other interesting data about climate in Oklahoma 
and in Oklahoma City. 

The prevailing wind in central Oklahoma is from 
the south. Only in January and February docs the 
wind blow most of the time from the north. The 


mean (average) temperature varies with different re¬ 
gions of the state. Some of the extreme northwest 
counties reach very low readings in winter and some 
of the northeast, especially, report very high summer 
temperatures. Oklahoma City’s average for 44 years 
is 59.9. January has proved our coldest month, with 
an average of 37.5; July and August have proved the 
hottest, with 80.9 and 80.6, respectively. Seventeen 
below and 108 above are the extreme official readings 
in Oklahoma City. 

Our state has a long growing season, permitting 
a great diversity of crops. The great difference in alti¬ 
tude, types of soil, and rainfall over the whole state 
add to the interesting and profitable variety of vege¬ 
tation. 

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 

Oklahoma is known as an agricultural state. In 
1932 at least 75 million dollars were received for the 
farm crops. Since then, federal agriculture aid and 
control make the figures meaningless for comparison. 
In that year cotton brought more than a third of the 
total, bringing more than 31 million dollars. About 
two-thirds of the area of the state is suitable cotton 
land. Drouth-resisting qualities of cotton add to its 
extensive cultivation. 

Wheat and corn, in order, are the next most im- 






You and Your State 


35 



LOST LAKE, WICHITA FOREST PRESERVE 


portant farm crops. The western half produces most 
of the wheat, while corn grows best along the river 
valleys and where there is more moisture in the earing 
season. Much of the wheat is shipped out of the 
state, though some is manufactured here. Much of 
the corn is fed to live stock. 

Other important agricultural crops are grain 
sorghums, cotton seed, hay, and oats. The sorghums 
include kaffir, milo, and such crops. They grow bet¬ 
ter with scant rainfall than do some other crops and 
serve well for feed. A prominent and valuable hay 
crop is alfalfa. 

The 1937 Year Book of the United States Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture gives Oklahoma the following 
ranking in the production of her principal crops: 


Winter Wheat 

3rd 

Cotton 

7th 

Corn 

21st 

Oats 

14th 

Broomcorn 

1st 



State rankings are misleading however, 

as the size 


of the state and amount of tillable land determine the 
total crop. 

The total acreage of all crops harvested in Ok¬ 
lahoma in 1937 was about 14% larger than in 1936 
and the total cash income from crop production was 
about 52% more than in 1936. Oklahoma was one of 
the five states in the union showing the greatest in¬ 
crease in income. 


LIVE STOCK AND POULTRY 

Oklahoma was once a great cattle region. Most 
of the large ranches have been turned to agriculture. 
While there are few large herds, the average farm 
has cattle for dairy products and beef sale. 

The centrally located packing plants and available 
trucking of the cattle have changed this industry 
more in kind than in quality. In 1937 Oklahoma 
City ranked 9th in receipt of cattle at our local stock- 
yards. 

Hogs and corn crops just naturally go together. 
As Oklahoma’s corn production has changed, her hog 
production has been affected. Hog raising is still an im¬ 
portant industry and will remain so. Other hog feed is 
substituted where corn is scarce. Like the cattle, the 
hogs are not usually found on large ranches, but a 
few to each farm. Many of these are butchered for 
home use and do not always show in published figures. 

Poultry and eggs, milk and butter make up a large 
part of the living of many farmers. Again much of 
this value is not known, for so much that is consumed 
on the same farm where grown is not always recorded 
or reported. Near the cities dairies are profitable for 
milk sale to city customers. Farmers both near and 
remote from towns may separate their butterfat and 
ship it to creameries for butter making. Much poul- 











36 


Challenge of Democracy 


try is shipped out of the state to the larger cities. 
The farmers in some regions have learned to depend 
year in and year out more on the products of their 
cattle and poultry than on field crops. 

LUMBER 

Though 28 states exceeded ours in value of forest 
products in 1929, still this is an important industry 
in Oklahoma. The small area which produces timber 
profitably limits the total. The extreme southeastern 
counties are the most noted for lumber products, 
while the adjacent counties produce large quantities. 
Both hardwood and softwood are worked up in the 
large saw mills of the region. 

One of Oklahoma’s major problems is the conser¬ 
vation of her trees and the production of new areas. 
Forest fires are being better controlled, thanks to the 
Forest Rangers. Tree enemies are being studied and 
successfully fought. More intelligent methods of cut¬ 
ting out the trees for production without so injuring 
the younger growth will add much to our lumber pro¬ 
duction. 

C. C. C. Assistance. Much of the work of the Civ¬ 
ilian Conservation Corps in Oklahoma has been to 
improve the climate and production, as well as the 
enjoyment of the scenery of our state. These young 
men have helped much to improve conditions of the 


forests and meanwhile to learn the important lessons 
of conservation of natural resources. They have built 
roads that make these regions more accessible. Also 
they have built lakes that will add to the value of rec¬ 
reation spots, as well as improve the climatic con¬ 
ditions. 

MINERAL PRODUCTS 

Petroleum has in recent years been our most valu¬ 
able mineral product, followed in order by natural 
gas, gasoline, zinc, coal, lead, and stone. In 1931 our 
stone sold for more than our lead. In 1933 Oklahoma 
produced more than three-fifths of the zinc of the 
United States. Most of the lead and zinc is found in 
the northeastern portion. 

Coal, once a very profitable industry in our state 
has in recent years declined greatly. Use of oil and 
gas for heat and power has seriously hurt the coal 
business. 

Oil was discovered in what is now Oklahoma the 
year that the territory was opened to settlement. It 
was several years before the industry developed. Now 
there are few sections of the state where there is not 
serious interest in the development of oil and gas. 
Several large fields have been developed. Only in the 
last ten years has the deep well region around Oklaho¬ 
ma City been actively worked, and even more recently 



WINDING STAIR MOUNTAIN 











You and Your State 


37 


has this central field become one of the major fields of 
the country. Few large cities have the oil wells sur- 
rounding them so closely and even found in the city 
in such large numbers. The wealth from these wells 
has added to the revenue and contributed to the growth 
of our city, but they have caused other problems diffi¬ 
cult to settle. The zoning regulations have been ser¬ 
ious problems in recent years. 

TRANSPORTATION 

Railways. For several years the industrial develop¬ 
ment of Oklahoma depended largely upon railways. 
Most of the long-distance shipping had to be done by 
rail and few passengers traveled far any other way. 
The first roads were built in the ’seventies and the 
’eighties, crossing north and south to suit the cattle 
industry. These main lines, the M. K. & T. in the 
Indian Territory portion, the Santa Fe through Okla¬ 
homa City, and the Rock Island through El Reno, car¬ 
ried much of the passengers and freight. Branch lines 
gradually spread a net-work over the country, as more 
direct east-and-west connections were built. 

Oklahoma City is the railway center of the state. 
The Santa Fe, Rock Island, Frisco, and M. K. & T. con¬ 
nect the capital with all portions of the state and border¬ 
ing states, as well as with all main centers of the 
nation. 

Bus and Truck. As highways developed both pas¬ 
senger and freight traffic has steadily shifted from the 
railroads, except for longer distances. Much of the 
freight within the state travels in commercial trucks, 
and many farmers market their own produce, includ¬ 
ing livestock, in their own trucks. Some of the inter¬ 
state freight is shipped by trucks. 

Motor busses now have lines through most towns 
of Oklahoma and carry a large number of pas¬ 
sengers. Steadily these busses, like the railway pas¬ 
senger cars, are being made much safer and more com¬ 
fortable and convenient, as well as more attractive. 

As in other states our inhabitants are inclined to 
own their own passenger cars. Much of the short dis¬ 
tance traveling, as well as an increasing portion of long 
distance, is done in the passenger’s own car or that of 
friends. 

Highways. Within the last ten years our state and 
nation have cooperated to build and improve many 
miles of highways. These connect every inhabitant 
conveniently and quickly with almost any point that 
he wishes to reach. Two very important national 
routes pass through Oklahoma City. These are No. 
77 north and south and No. 66, east and west. No. 62 


connects us with the eastern part of the state. Other 
important federal routes pass through other parts of 
the state, while various federal and state routes make 
a rather close net-work of all Oklahoma. Study a 
recent highway map to see the extent of this develop¬ 
ment. 

Airways. While commercial aviation is in its in¬ 
fancy, still it is possible to fly to important centers of 
the state quickly and relatively safely and inexpensive¬ 
ly. Inter-state air lines place us in quick contact with 
important centers of the nation and make it possible to 
communicate by mail with remarkable speed. It will 
be interesting to watch the development of commercial 
aviation in the near future. The providing of landing 
fields has already become a real problem of large cities 
More than 50 cities and towns in Oklahoma now have 
airports. 

POPULATION 

In 1920 and 1930 Oklahoma was the 21st state in 
population, having risen from 23rd position since 1910. 
We had a total of 2,396,040 in 1930, an increase of 18% 
in ten years. 

The Federal Census Bureau counts ail places 
under 2,500 as rural and others as urban. On that 
basis we increased from 26.0% urban in 1920 to 
34.3% in 1930. 

Out of each thousand Oklahomans, 878 are native 
white, 72 are Negroes, 39 are Indians, and 11 are for¬ 
eign-born white. Of the latter group, Germany sent 
us the most, followed, in order, by: Russia; Great 
Britain; Canada; Czechoslovakia; Norway, Sweden, 
and Denmark; Poland; Italy; and other countries with 
relatively few. 

Oklahoma had 92,725 Indians in 1930, which was 
nearly 28% of all Indians in the United States. We 
had more than twice as many as did Arizona, the second 
state. 

There are now sixteen cities in Oklahoma with a 
population of ten thousand or more. Use any recent 
road map for the location and population of these 
cities. 

But Oklahoma is not a community of cities, as are 
some of the other states, and never will be. While 
many of our people have moved away from the farms, 
and though many of the smaller villages have neces¬ 
sarily grown smaller or disappeared, still the large part 
of the population continues to live on farms and in 
smaller towns. 

Improved and extended highways, better mail 
service, school transportation, rural telephones, elec- 









38 


Challenge of Democracy 


trie service, and the radio have combined to make 

rural life more attractive, and this may check the 

growth of cities to some extent. 

To Test Your Knowledge of Oklahoma Geography 

1. What six states touch Oklahoma? 

2. Where is the geographical center of Oklahoma? 

3. What latitude is the northern boundary of the 
state ? 

4. Where is the 100th meridian? 

5. If you were to go around the world on Oklahoma 
City’s latitude, through what countries would 
you pass? Through what states? 

6. If you were to encircle the world on Oklahoma 
City’s longitude through what countries would 
you pass? Through what states? 

7. How does our state compare in size with Kansas? 
With Missouri? 

8. A section of land contains 640 acres and is a mile 
square. How many sections in Oklahoma? 

29. Practice drawing a rough outline map of Okla¬ 
homa until you can draw it creditably from mem¬ 
ory. 

10. What four rivers enter the state separately and 
leave as one? What is their general direction? 

11. Which of these rivers is nearest Oklahoma City? 
What creeks are near Oklahoma City? 

12. What are the main uses of Oklahoma streams? 
What other uses are made of streams in some 
countries? 

13. Contrast the streams of western Oklahoma with 
those of the eastern part of the state. 

14. Name Oklahoma’s three most important mountain 
groups and point to each. 

15. What are some of the highest elevations in the 
state? Some of the lowest? 

16. Can Oklahoma properly be classed as a leading 
agricultural state? 

17. Name five of the most valuable farm crops of Ok¬ 
lahoma. 

18. What regions of the state are most suitable for 
each? 

19. In what ways has Oklahoma changed as a cattle 
state since the openings? 

20. What is the chief livestock center of Oklahoma? 
Why? 

21. Why are poultry and eggs, milk and butter more 


important to the people of Oklahoma than the 
figures show? 

22. Why does Oklahoma have relatively more horses 
and mules than many of the states? 

23. Where is the main forest region of the state? 

24. How has the C. C. C. work helped our forests? 

25. What does conservation mean? Illustrate. 

26. Where does Oklahoma rank as a mineral state? 
What other states are near the top? 

27. What are Oklahoma’s five most important min¬ 
erals? 

28. What Oklahoma mineral has declined most in 
value in recent years? Why? 

29. What benefits come from the nearness of the oil 
wells to Oklahoma City? What disadvantages? 

30. When Oklahoma City was a young town, what 
were the main means of transportation in the ter¬ 
ritory? 

31. Name some of the earliest railroads to build 
through Oklahoma. 

32. What direction did the earliest ones run? Why? 

33. Show to what extent and w’hy truck transporta¬ 
tion has increased. 

34. To what extent and why has travel by bus and 
passenger car increased? 

35. Name three federal highways that enter Okla¬ 
homa City. Are they named? 

36. Compare time required to reach New York or Los 
Angeles from Oklahoma City by bus, by rail, and 
by air. 

37. How does Oklahoma compare in population with 
Kansas? With Missouri? What other state had 
about the same population as Oklahoma in 1930. 

Activities: 

1. Give a floor talk about some other section of 
the state with which you are familiar. 

2. Write a letter describing some trip you have 
taken in Oklahoma. 

3. Make a list of the ten most important commer¬ 
cial minerals in the state. 

4. Trace the important rivers on a sketch map. 

5. On a highway map trace the principal highways 
of Oklahoma. 

6. Have one of the students conduct an imaginary 
tour to one of the parks of the state. 

7. Write a letter about Oklahoma City oil wells. 

Reference: 

Dodge-Lackey, Advanced Geography. 





You and Your State 


39 


Part 2—History of Oklahoma 


OKLAHOMA 

(A Toast) 

I give you a land of sun and flowers, 

And summer a whole year long: 

I give you a land where the golden hours 
Roll by to the mocking bird’s song: 

Where the cotton blooms ’neath the southern sun 
Where the vintage hangs thick on the vine: 

A land whose story has just begun, 

This wonderful land of mine. 

A land where the fields of golden grain, 

Like waves on a sunlit sea, 

Bend low to the breezes that sweep the plain 
With a welcome to you and me: 

Where the corn grows high ’neath the smiling sky 
Where the quail whistles low in the grass: 

And fruit trees greet with a burden sweet, 

And perfume the winds that pass. 

Oklahoma, Oklahoma, 

Fairest daughter of the West, 

Oklahoma, Oklahoma 
’Tis the land I love the best, 

We have often sung her praises, 1 
But we have not told the half, 

So I give you “Oklahoma,” 

’Tis a toast we all can quaff. 

-HARRIET PARKER CAMDEN 

STATE FLOWER AND STATE SONG 

Before reviewing Oklahoma history, let us notice 
some other interesting items about it. Each state has a 
State Flower, usually so named by law. In 1893 the ter¬ 
ritorial legislature selected the Mistletoe as Oklahoma’s 
floral emblem and in 1921 the state legislature officially 
named it. Do you know the flower of another state? 

State songs grow up, sometimes by tradition and 
sometimes named by law. “Oklahoma, a Toast” is so 
considered in Oklahoma, though no law has ever 
named a song for our state. 

STATE FLAG 

In 1925 the legislature adopted our state flag. 
Maybe you have not noticed the design on your school’s 
state flag. The blue field and the central design 
make a beautiful setting for the brown, red, white and 
green smaller figures. Notice the eagle feathers and 


palm branch, and the pipe of peace. The blue field sig¬ 
nifies loyalty and devotion; the shield implies defensive 
or protective warfare, when justifiable; the small 
crosses on the shield are the Indian’s graphic sign 
for stars and may indicate lofty ideals or a purpose 
for high endeavor; the shield thus surmounted by, but 
always subservient to, the calumet and olive branch, 
betoken a predominant love of peace by a united people. 

STATE MOTTO 

The parts of the seal all symbolize phases of Okla¬ 
homa’s history. Every bit as important is the state’s 
motto, which was also the motto of the Territory of 
Oklahoma. “Labor Omnia Vincit” is the Latin for 
“Labor conquers all”. “Eighty-Niners” and other pio¬ 
neers, as well as many who have moved to our state 
in more recent years, understand how much that motto 
means in the development of the forty-sixth state. As 
we review the stories of the explorers, the early set¬ 
tlers, the Five Tribes, cattle men, territorial residents, 
and present inhabitants, let us read through the whole 
history the lesson of how much labor has conquered in 
transforming a wild land into the state of which we are 
justly so proud. The more we learn of Oklahoma’s 
story the more we can appreciate her past and her pos¬ 
sible future. 

EXPLORATION 

Fifteen hundred and forty-one. Two-thirds of a 
century before John Smith settled in Virginia and 
seventy-nine years before the Pilgrims landed, white 
men from Europe traveled in what is now Oklahoma. 
Nearly four centuries ago our land was seen and ad¬ 
mired by the race that now enjoys it. Let us not envy 
boys and girls of the Thirteen Colonies for their long 
period of history. As we review how the Oklahoma of 
the present grew we will be impressed with its rich 
and interesting history. 

Spanish Exploration. For several years following 
the discovery of America the Spaniards explored the 
region around the Gulf of Mexico. As parties wan¬ 
dered farther north they heard of natives with unbe¬ 
lievable wealth. With returned explorers and with In¬ 
dians as guides, Coronado led an ambitious expedition 
out of western Mexico to find the fabled cities of 
wealth. After crossing Arizona, New Mexico, and the 
Panhandle of Texas, he entered northwestern Okla- 









40 


Challenge of Democracy 


homa, and on across Kansas. Of course what are 
now these states had not been established or named 
then. Students of history are not agreed on how far 
south or east his course lay. Some think that he came 
near the central part of the state. His exploration 
was a bitter disappointment so far as finding the gold 
and other wealth of this sort was concerned, but he 
did find and report interesting people and animals and 
country. 

That same year De Soto, exploring northwestward 
from Florida, came through the region now occupied 
by Arkansas. His party came close to the present east 
line of Oklahoma, and may have crossed over for a 
few miles. Thus in 1541 two groups of Spaniards, 
coming from the southwest and from the southeast, so 
nearly met in what was later to be land claimed by 
Spain, but still later settled by Americans from all di¬ 
rections and all sections of the United States. 

Sixty years later Onata, a Spaniard, explored Okla¬ 
homa, intending to settle, but was turned back by 
unfriendly Indians. Spanish settlements pushed north¬ 
ward from Mexico but never reached Oklahoma. 

French Exploration. The Spanish explorers who 
saw our land had come mounted and from long dis¬ 
tances. Not so with the French, who came in the early 
part of the 18th century. They slowly moved west¬ 
ward from the Mississippi River, traveling in canoes 
up the Red and Arkansas rivers. They established 
trading posts in what is now Arkansas, and made trips 
into the Oklahoma area where they explored the coun¬ 
try and traded with the Indians, with whom they made 
friends. Arkansas Post was the nearest French settle¬ 
ment, and out of it came much of the exploration into 
Oklahoma. 

The first recorded French exploration was in 1719 
when La Harpe led a party through southeastern Okla¬ 
homa and probably as far north as the region where 
Tulsa now stands. These expeditions left many 
French names in eastern Oklahoma. What streams or 
towns have French names? Also the region was suc¬ 
cessfully claimed by France, managed as part of the 
Arkansas District. 

ACQUIRED BY THE UNITED STATES 

In 1769 France ceded to Spain the territory that 
included Oklahoma, and for thirty-one years Spain 
was in control, though she did little if anything to 
settle this part of her possessions. In 1800 Napoleon 
forced the Spaniards to cede the Louisiana Territory 
back to France, from whom President Jefferson bought 
it for the United States in 1803. 


Thus, for nearly three centuries the Spanish and 
French flags crossed and sometimes held sway over 
the region that was to become Oklahoma. Since 1803 
it has been under the Stars and Stripes. Slowly, how¬ 
ever, did it win a definite place in the nation’s plans, 
and it was many years before statehood came. 

Only a few of the events of the century and a 
third that our land has been a part of the United States 
can be mentioned in these pages. Do not fail to read 
as much as possible from such books as Buchanan and 
Dale; Dale and Rader; Harlow; Montgomery, Mosier, 
and Bethel; Wyatt and Rainey; and Wright. These 
books tell many interesting stories of exploration and 
settlement, as well as of the interesting years since 
1803. 

INDIAN TERRITORY 

Shortly after the purchase of the Louisiana Terri¬ 
tory from France, President Jefferson proposed that a 
portion of it west of Arkansas Territory be set aside 
as an Indian section to which all of the tribes of the 
United States would be moved. Of course this plan 
did not work out in that way, but it was not long until 
fragments of tribes began to drift westward to this 
newly acquired land, where they thought they would 
not be annoyed by the advance of the white man. 

Cherokees West. In 1817 the United States made 
a treaty with some of the Cherokees who were ready to 
move west, exchanging their eastern lands for equal 
amounts in the new country. The government pro¬ 
vided them transportation to the western part of what 
is now Arkansas. These Indians, known as the “Chero¬ 
kees West,” soon had trouble with frontier white set¬ 
tlers. In 1828 they made a new treaty to exchange 
their Arkansas land for seven million acres in what 
is now northeastern Oklahoma. In addition they were 
given a strip, 68 miles wide, from their reserva¬ 
tion westward to the 100th meridian. This was later 
called the “Cherokee Strip.” It was an outlet to the 
buffalo hunting grounds farther west. Soon the Chero¬ 
kees West became adjusted to their new homes and 
were satisfied. 

The Five Civilized Tribes. Back in the Carolinas, 
Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and overlapping 
a little to the north, were five tribes who were becom¬ 
ing more and more annoyed and hindered by the en¬ 
croaching white men. These were the Cherokees, 
Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles. Be¬ 
cause they had adopted farming and stockraising in¬ 
stead of hunting, and because they lived and dressed 
like the whites, they were called the “Civilized 




You and Your State 


41 


Tribes.” They owned and worked slaves. They were 
accepting Christianity and, under leadership of mis¬ 
sionaries, were developing school systems. The more 
restless Cherokees had already migrated, and those 
that remained were content to develop their eastern 
holdings and advance their race. 

An outstanding genius among the Cherokees was 
Sequoyah. Impressed by the writing and printing or 
the whites, and believing that his people needed some- 


EARLY TRIBAL ASSIGNMENTS 

thing similar, he developed an alphabet (really a sylla¬ 
bary) that suited the Cherokee language. Soon a news¬ 
paper was started in both English and Cherokee, and 
the effect was sufficient to reward the great Sequoyah, 
who had worked through the years of discouragement 
of even his closest friends and relatives to do what no 
other man ever did alone. 

Unfortunately for the Five Tribes, their land was 
very valuable hnd lay in the path of the westward tide 
of the white race. All possible means, not all of them 
fair or honorable, were used to get these tribes out of 
the southeastern states. It is a long, interesting story of 
which we are not proud. These pages are too few to 
review the troubles between the whites and their gov¬ 
ernment and the Indians. You should read it again in 
one of the books on Oklahoma History. 

The election of Jackson to the presidency assured 
and hastened the removal. Through treaties and 
trades, urging and oppressing, the Five Tribes were 
gradually removed to land in what became the Indian 
Territory. It took years. Tribes moved in install¬ 
ments. Some never moved. There are still several 
hundred Eastern Cherokees to be found in the Carolina 
mountains. The Seminoles had to be ejected by mili¬ 
tary means and naturally developed a distrustful atti¬ 


tude toward the white man and his government and 
civilization. 

In the first assignment of lands, the Seminoles did 
not have assignments and the Creeks sold their eastern 
lands outright. Later the Seminoles were moved west 
and assigned part of their kinsmen’s land. The Semi¬ 
noles had formerly broken off from the Creek tribe. 
It was natural that they should be assigned as neigh¬ 
bors to the Creeks, getting a small western part of the 
Creek assignment. Likewise, the Chickasaws were 
moved to the western part of their kinsmen’s allot¬ 
ment. The line between the Chickasaws and Choc¬ 
taws was not at first definite, nor was the western 
extent of the Chickasaw assignment settled at once. 

Adjustment to the new homes was not quick 
nor smooth. Epidemics swept some tribes. Lack 
of medical attention was a great drawback. Rival¬ 
ry among leaders and their families kept some 
tribes badly torn and retarded. Interference of 
scheming whites who followed and preyed upon 
the red men was a continuous discouragement. 

But there were encouraging influences. Some 
missionaries accompanied them westward and oth¬ 
ers followed. They helped the Indians through 
disease and discouragement. They started schools 
and newspapers. They helped the best of the red 
men to succeed, to set examples for their race, and to 
lead out on higher planes of living. 

Slave labor developed the new land into a region 
of stock raising and farming. Houses and barns were 
built. Farm homes were developed. The government, 
through various means, both advised and helped these 
tribes in this adjustment. 

When the Civil War broke, the Five Tribes had as¬ 
signments as shown on page 41. Notice how rivers 
were used as boundaries. The Creeks, Seminoles, and 
Chickasaws had really occupied only the eastern por¬ 
tions of the areas shown. 

Naturally these Indians sided and fought with the 
South, though the Cherokees were badly divided. 
Armies surged through their regions and much of their 
accomplishment was wiped out. Their development 
was retarded and their confidence in the white man’s 
government even more weakened. 

Immediately after the end of the war the Five 
Tribes made treaties with the United States govern¬ 
ment. They promised to free their slaves and adopt 
them into their tribes, to permit railroads to cross 
their territory, and to give up a part of their land for 
numerous other tribes who were to be brought in. 
































42 


Challenge of Democracy 



FINAL TRIBAL ASSIGNMENTS 


The map on page 42 shows the final assignment 
that was made to the Five Tribes and to others 
that from time to time were settled in Oklahoma 
and Indian Territories. 

During the third of a century preceding the 
Civil War the Five Tribes had built tribal govern¬ 
ments that were very significant accomplishments. 
Elected chiefs, legislative bodies, written statutes, 
and other phases of their governments are evi¬ 
dences of their ability. Under protection and 
advisory leadership of the federal government 
and missionaries they had developed pretty good 
school systems and other phases of civilization. 

After the war and the resultant treaties, these 
Indians were under the control and direction of 
the Washington offices. White men gradually came 
in and the whole scene was changed. The tribes began 
to rebuild their western homes and tribal accomplish¬ 
ments, but again with interference of designing whites. 
By 1889 an official estimate showed 65,200 members of 
the Five Tribes and 112,600 others living in the region 
assigned to them. Nearly a third of the white settlers 
were undesirables of some kind or other. Too many 
of them were non-progressive and hindered the recov¬ 
ery of the country. Their influence was partially off¬ 
set by that of many industrious, worthy white folks, 
who in time developed the splendid white population 
of the Indian Territory. 

Other Tribes. Meantime the federal government 
had been moving in other tribes, most of them known 
as Plains Indians. Others came from states east of 
the Mississippi. Their names and land assignments 
can be seen on the map on page 42. The largest of these 
was to the Osage who, having been driven west across 
the Mississippi, had for some time been assigned to 
southern Kansas. They moved just across the line and 
received an assignment that in time came to be famous 
for fts oil wealth. 

All told, about thirty tribes, some of them small, 
were assigned land in what was later to be the State 
of Oklahoma. All tribes were governed by the United 
States through the various agencies that were estab¬ 
lished at convenient places. Some of the Plains In¬ 
dians were warlike and restless. The series of en¬ 
counters with them includes many interesting stories. 
United States soldiers had to conquer some rebellious 
groups. Famous chiefs developed. You will enjoy read¬ 
ing of these tribes and their gradual absorption into the 
new civilization that was built up. 

Towns and Railroads. Before the Civil War there 
was little effort to build towns, nor was there need for 


them. The treaties with the Five Tribes assured the 
development of coal fields and railroads. Early in the 
’seventies these appeared. The McAlester region proved 
rich in coaf at a time when coal was so important in 
industry. The M. K. & T. Railway built through be¬ 
tween Kansas and Texas, and towns soon grew. 

Elsewhere we have told of the coming of other lines. 
Along them especially, but elsewhere as needed, towns 
sprang up. By 1890 there were 222 post offices in In¬ 
dian Territory. Four towns, Ardmore, Caddo, Krebs, 
and McAlester, had populations of 2,000 or more. These 
towns had little law under which to organize and little 
revenue to develop their needs. After 1898 these Indian 
Territory towns could incorporate and vote bonds for im¬ 
provements, including schools. 

OKLAHOMA TERRITORY 

A Cattle Country. The western portion of what is 
now Oklahoma was once a great buffalo country. It 
did not take the Plains Indians many years to wipe 
out most of these great herds. Their need of buffalo 
meat and hides and their delight in such hunting added 
much to the government’s difficulty in keeping these 
tribes on their reservations. 

As the buffalos gradually disappeared their place 
was rapidly taken by cattle. Texas had already devel¬ 
oped a great cattle industry. Large ranges produced 
more than could be marketed. Attempts, shortly after 
the Civil War, to drive large herds north through the 
territory of the Five Tribes and on through Missouri 
to market, proved failures. 

Then a railroad was built through southwestern 
Kansas and shipping points for cattle were estab¬ 
lished, first at Abilene and later at other Kansas towns. 

































You and Your State 


43 


To these shipping points the Texas ranchers could 
slowly drive their herds, fattening them on the ex¬ 
tensive pasture land of what became Oklahoma Terri¬ 
tory. When they reached the railroads they were ready 
for the market. These northerly pasturing expeditions 
built up some famous cattle trails between Texas and 
Kansas. 

Some of the cattlemen saw the opportunity to de¬ 
velop ranches in this new country. Difficulties arose 
with both the Indians and the United States govern¬ 
ment. Some evaded these troubles and raised large 
herds. Others gradually made one kind of arrange¬ 
ment or another with the Indians or with the govern¬ 
ment. Sometimes it took vigorous attacks of the army 
to control the most warlike tribes, who not only har¬ 
assed the cattlemen, but also made raids on white 
settlements in neighboring states. 

This part of Oklahoma’s story, like some of the 
others, has been well told in various books and is worth 
your reading. The chapters in some of the texts on 
Oklahoma History are especially well told. The Okla¬ 
homa cowboys are a picturesque part of the early his¬ 
tory of our country. Oklahomans enjoy reading and 
hearing about them. What can you add to this dis¬ 
cussion from other reading or conversations with pio¬ 
neers? 

Boomers. Americans have moved westward. From 
colonial days the trend of population had been toward 


the west. This had brought large numbers into the 
Indian Territory. As the cattlemen developed the 
western portion it became evident that here was a good 
location for farmers and for the towns and industries 
that would arise in a settled country. 

But for the relatively few whites who had settled 
in the Indian Country, there were many hundreds who 
were settling in or passing through the neighboring 
states. They were hunting homes. How could they 
understand why so much good land should be used by 
cattlemen and Indians, when they believed that it 
would be worth more as farm homes of whites? They 
were easily led to believe that it was unfair, even il¬ 
legal, to keep them out. 

In 1879 there developed a movement to advertise 
these unoccupied lands and to bring further pressure 
upon Congress to open them to white settlement. 
Many misunderstood and left their various states to 
settle in the Indian Country. President Hayes and the 
Army succeeded in stopping this movement. But the 
interest and the desire and the agitation could not be 
so easily stopped. 

In 1880 David L. Payne began his numerous at¬ 
tempts to lead groups of homeseekers across the Kan¬ 
sas border. For five years he kept up his efforts to 
establish settlements for these large groups of home- 
seekers. He led their attempts to “boom” the plan for 
opening the new country. Each attempt was broken 



LINED UP FOR THE RUN 








44 


Challenge of Democracy 



up by the soldiers that patrolled the Kansas bor¬ 
der. Payne is famous as the first great leader of 
the “Boomers.” 

After his death in November, 1884, his work 
was taken up by Captain Couch. Two months 
later he succeeded in leading some colonists, who 
made a settlement near what is now Stillwater. 
Troops soon removed them. 

Though these efforts were all failures they 
did succeed in adding to the pressure on the gov¬ 
ernment to open the new country. More and more 
opposition was aroused against the cattlemen, 
some of whom were fencing their Oklahoma ranch¬ 
es. All these efforts had the result of advertis¬ 
ing this new country all over the nation and of 
making more and more people plan to move there 
just as soon as permitted. 

Plans for Opening. For years bills had been pre¬ 
sented to Congress to open the new country. Powerful 
lobbying, both for the plans and against them, had 
kept the government uncertain and not acting. Some 
of the objections were removed or overriden. But the 
adjournment of Congress was so near that those who 
hoped for opening in 1889 despaired. Then, in the 
very closing days of the session, the bill to open Okla¬ 
homa Territory to settlement passed as a rider to the 
Indian Appropriation Bill. 

The First Opening. Two days later Benjamin Har¬ 
rison became President. Three weeks passed before 
he fulfilled the clause of the measure which em¬ 
powered him to declare the land open to settlement in 
such a way as he might decide. On March 23rd he 
issued the proclamation that on April 22nd what were 
the “unassigned” lands should be opened. This in¬ 
cluded the two portions shown in white on the map on 
page 42. This was divided into the seven counties 
listed in the Unit on State Civics. 

The First Run. Many were ready to come to the 
new country. Thirty days was sufficient time to attract 
more homeseekers to the borders of the new country 
than there were town lots and quarter-sections for 
farms. A new method of opening was used. People 
raced for the land, most of them on horses. It was an 
excited throng that waited nervously for noon to be 
announced by the firing of army guns. Some were 
carried to the interior to townsites on Santa Fe trains. 
Land Offices had been established where homesteaders 
could rush to “file.” Of course there were contests in 
court later over arguments as to who had “staked” cer¬ 
tain farms first. 


There are always some who don’t want to play the 
game fairly. Some men slipped past the soldiers, hid 
within the country, and preceded the racers just enough 
to beat them to the choicest locations and still make it 
appear that they had made the run regularly. These 
were known as “Sooners.” 

Some relinquished their claims within a short time 
to disappointed homeseekers who were willing to meet 
the price asked. Some of these buyers came in shortly 
after the run. It is now considered a distinction to be 
classed as an “Eighty-niner.” 

Later Openings. Just exactly seventeen months 
after the first opening came the next race. This time 
the Sac and Fox, Iowa, and Shawnee-Pottawatomie 
lands were opened. Two new counties were made and 
some of the original ones enlarged. In 1892 the 
Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation was opened by race, 
and the little Oklahoma Territory had grown west¬ 
ward. 

The Cherokee Outlet had been leased by the Chero- 
kees to cattlemen. The deal delayed the opening of 
this region, but on September 16, 1893 it, too, was the 
scene of a mad rush for the fine farm land which it 
comprised. This was the biggest of all the races, prob¬ 
ably a hundred thousand participating. So much irreg¬ 
ularity developed that it was seen that such a plan 
was not desirable. In 1895 the Kickapoo reservation 
was opened by race. This was a small region and a 
relatively small affair to close the famous “races” for 
new homes. The map on page 44 shows the shape and 
size of Oklahoma Territory after six years of growth 
on the “installment plan.” 

The next addition came through a court decision. 
The North Fork of the Red River cut off a corner that 
had been claimed by Texas. In 1896 the United States 























































You and Your State 


45 


Supreme Court decided that the south branch is the 
main stream of the Red River and so was the 
northern boundary of Texas. Greer County was 
added to the new territory and after statehood 
became what is now Greer, Jackson, and Harmon 
counties. 

By 1901 the government had satisfactorily ar¬ 
ranged with the Kiowas, Comanches, and Wich- 
itas to open their reservation to settlement. First 
a large government preserve was set aside north¬ 
west of Fort Sill. Also a large area in the south 
portion was temporarily reserved for pasture land 
for these tribes, and was called the Big Pasture. 

The rest of the land was opened for settle¬ 
ment, but not by race. Homeseekers registered 
and drew for numbers. Fort Sill and El Reno 
were registering places, and about 130,000 men and wom¬ 
en declared that they did not own as much as 160 acres 
of land and were legally entitled to draw for farms 
from among the 13,000 quarter sections^that had been 
surveyed in the new country. The first whose name 
was drawn for each of the two districts got his choice 
of farm, the next one got second choice, and so on till 
the land was exhausted. Most of the thousands were 
again disappointed. 

This opening added three new counties, Caddo, 
Comanche, and Kiowa. Out of each, a half section 
of land was reserved for the townsite of a county seat 
town. Sale of town lots in these three towns, Ana- 
darko, Lawton, and Hobart, raised enough money to 
build courthouses and to finance county government 
until tax money was available. 

Five years later (1906) came the last of the open¬ 
ings, the Big Pasture. A new plan was used. Sealed 
bids were filed for the quarter sections of the 480,000 
acre “Pasture” and the farms were sold to the highest 
bidders. These openings had now enlarged the terri¬ 
tory to the boundaries shown on the map on this page. 
This map shows clearly the regions thereafter occupied 
in Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. 

These openings have not accounted for the reser¬ 
vations of the following tribes: Poncas, Otoes, Mis¬ 
souri, Osages, and Kaws. These areas were already 
in Oklahoma for governmental purposes. By 1906 the 
land had been allotted to members of these tribes, and 
no formal opening was needed. 

As each tribe yielded its claim to its reservation, 
the members were given individual allotments and reg¬ 
ular payments of specified amounts by the federal gov¬ 
ernment. It must be remembered that the Indian owned 
all these lands when the white man came, had gradually 
been crowded back farther and farther, and now gave 


»03 102 »0» lOO 99 98 97 9£> bb 




99 96 97 9fc 96 


OKLAHOMA AND INDIAN TERRITORIES 

up all claims by tribes. In time it became possible for 
these tribesmen to sell their lands. Some of them still 
own these allotments, but much of their land is owned 
and farmed by whites. 

As each reservation was opened for settlement cer¬ 
tain sections of each Congressional township were set 
aside for School Land. If an Indian decided on a quar¬ 
ter of School Land for his allotment, this amount was 
selected elsewhere in a large block known as Indemnity 
School Land. The sale or lease money from these lands 
has added to the support of Oklahoma’s schools, as is 
told in the Unit on State Civics. 

The Oklahoma Territory. For the first thirteen 
months after the first opening there was no organized 
territorial government. Congress appropriated money 
to establish short terms of schools for the first year. 
Towns were settled and organized without explicit law. 
In May, 1890, a territorial government was formed 
with Guthrie as the capital. State officials, except the 
legislators, were appointed by the President. George 
W. Steele was the first governor. 

In August of that year a legislature was elected 
and met in December. Among the first acts was one to 
create a school system with three colleges to crown 
it. These were the University, the A. & M. College, and 
a normal school at Edmond. Laws were enacted to 
care for the needs of the new territory. As counties 
were added they came under the new government and 
added their members to the legislature. 

During the territorial days there were seven gov¬ 
ernors, appointed by the President. Oklahoma Terri¬ 
tory had one non-voting delegate in the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives. As is pointed out in the unit on State 
Civics, Indian Territory was during these years “un¬ 
organized” and had no official representative in Congress. 

Probably no other region was ever settled in the 






















































46 


Challenge of Democracy 


way that ours was. Coming from every direction, from 
all sections, from towns and country, from all occupa¬ 
tions and social levels, and from various races, the 
people poured into this center of new homes. The 
various areas didn’t develop gradually, as do most set¬ 
tlements, but each reservation was populated in a day. 
People suddenly became pioneers. Some could not 
adapt themselves and went back to “the states”. Some 
would have returned but could not. Others stayed, 
adapted themselves to the hardships and problems, and 
grew into real Oklahomans. Chapters on early days 
in Oklahoma Territory are found in the Oklahoma His¬ 
tories. These should be read. Most of you have neigh¬ 
bors or relatives who lived in Oklahoma in the early 
days who can add much to your knowledge and appre¬ 
ciation of this early period. 

From Territories to State. From the time that 
Oklahoma Territory was organized there was almost 
constant agitation for admission as a state. In 1892 
Oklahoma’s delegate introduced a bill for statehood. 
Repeated attempts kept the matter before Congress and 
before the people of the territory. 

One of the main causes of delay was the contro¬ 
versy over “single” or “double” statehood, that is, 
whether Oklahoma and Indian Territories should be 
joined as one state (single) or whether they should 
come in as two states (double). There was interesting 
argument for and against both plans, but official senti¬ 
ment for single statehood gradually grew. Two of the 
important influences were: first, the fact that if ad¬ 
mitted as two states both would be too small to operate 
economically; second, northern and eastern states did 
not welcome the power of too many new states in this 
region. 

The most interesting and important incident of 
these years of discussion was the Sequoyah Conven¬ 
tion. This was held in Muskogee in August, 1905, and 
was attended by delegates from the various parts of 
Indian Territory. It formed a constitution for the 
“State of Sequoyah,” which was approved by a vote 
of Indian Territory inhabitants (in a light and disin¬ 
terested vote), and submitted to Congress for ap¬ 
proval. Of course by this time sentiment for single 
statehood was too far advanced for the proposal to re¬ 
ceive much favorable consideration. The important 
outcome of the convention was the experience in 
writing a constitution and the leadership developed 
among the delegates. These men used that leadership 
to good advantage in the Oklahoma Constitutional Con¬ 
vention just a little more than a year later. 

The rest of the story of becoming a state is told 


in the unit on State Civics. The Enabling Act, passed 
by Congress; the election of the 112 delegates to the 
Constitutional Convention and their months of work 
in writing our long constitution; the favorable vote of 
the people of the two territories on the constitution; 
the proclamation of the President that made the new 
state official; and the organization of the new govern¬ 
ment on November 16, 1907,—these are all important 
steps in the formation of the 46th state of the Union. 

SILHOUETTE 

On the edge of a hill three ponies stand 
Overlooking the valley land, 

With wind-blown tail and half-closed eye. 

Watching the road as the cars go oy. 

Wild ponies stood there in bygone days, 

While slowly out of the prairie haze 

The vanguard waves of the white tide flowed 

Over the winding prairie road. 

Till the antelope and the buffalo 
Vanished into the long ago. 

And wild horse and red man are very tame, 

And only the sun and the wind are the same. 

—KENNETH C. KAUFMAN 
Courtesy of the author and Kaleidograpli Press. 

OKLAHOMA, 1907-1935 

Elected Governors. One of the causes of dissatis¬ 
faction in Oklahoma Territory was the fact that the 
Governors were appointed by the President, often men 
from other states, and nearly always of the minority 
party of the territory. After Oklahoma became a state, 
the governor was chosen by popular vote and from the 
dominant party. 

The first governor was Chas. N. Haskell, who held 
office from Nov. 16, 1907 to January, 1910. The others 
were elected for four-year terms. In order, they are: 
2nd, Lee Cruce, 1911-1914; 3rd, Robert L. Williams, 
1915-1918; 4th, J. B. A. Robertson, 1919-1922; 5th, 
J. C. Walton, 1923 (impeached) ; 6th, M. E. Trapp, 1924- 
1926; 7th, Henry S. Johnston, 1927-1929 (impeached); 
8th, William J. Holloway, 1929-1930; 9th, William H. 
Murray, 1931-1935; 10th, E. W. Marland, 1935-1939. It 
will be remembered that our constitution forbids a gov¬ 
ernor to be elected to succeed himself. That helps to 
explain why no man has held more than a four-year term. 

Impeachments. Our constitution provides for re¬ 
moval from office of those officials found guilty of cer¬ 
tain irregularities. Early in Governor Walton’s admin¬ 
istration the legislature succeeded in getting a consti¬ 
tutional amendment adopted which would permit them 
to meet without the governor’s call. At such a ses- 









You and Your State 


47 


sion the House impeached the governor; the Senate 
tried him and convicted him; and he was thus auto¬ 
matically removed. The Lieutenant Governor, Mr. 
Trapp, automatically succeeded to the office. He 
wished to make the race for governor in 1926, but the 
Supreme Court ruled that the constitution forbids im¬ 
mediate succession of all governors, even those who 
had not been elected to that position. 

The next to be removed by impeachment was Gov¬ 
ernor Johnston, about the middle of his term. He was 
succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Holloway. Gover¬ 
nor Robertson had a Republican House. They could 
not work together harmoniously and the House lacked 
but one vote of impeaching him. 

Other officials have been impeached and still more 
have been seriously discussed in impeachment proceed¬ 
ings. In 1913 the legislature impeached three state 
officials and others resigned under charges. Again, in 
1915, two state officials were impeached. 

Oklahoma’s Senators and Representatives. Like 
all the states Oklahoma has two senators who are 
elected by the people of the state and serve a term of 
six years. Who are our senators? 

When Oklahoma became a state it was divided 
into five congressional districts. As the population 
increased it was redistricted and at the present 
time there are eight congressional districts. A rep¬ 
resentative is elected by the people from each dis¬ 
trict and the people of the entire state elect one who is 
called a representative at large. Since the term of a 
representative is only two years, frequent changes oc¬ 
cur in the House of Representatives. 

Oklahoma City is located in the fifth district. 
Who is the representative from this district? 



OUR STATE CAPITOL 

Political Parties. In all major elections the Dem¬ 
ocrats have carried the elections. No other has been 
elected to a state office. In 1920 and again in 1928 


the national elections were Republican landslides 
which swept into office several Oklahoma Republican 
candidates for seats in Congress. As these were not 
years when the governor and other state officials were 
being elected, these Republican victories affected Ok¬ 
lahoma very little. Some Congressional districts in 
the northern part of the state often elect Republicans, 
while other districts do occasionally. Counties and 
cities in the central and northern part of the state 
usually divide their officials between the two major 
parties. 

Two other parties have at times figured significant¬ 
ly in our elections. The Socialists grew rather rapid¬ 
ly from the beginning of statehood, but reached their 
height of votes and influence about 1914. In 1921 and 
1922 the Farmer-Labor Reconstruction League, with 
representatives from all parties, rose to considerable 
influence. 

The Capital. The Enabling Act had required that 
Guthrie remain the state capital until 1913. The new 
administration was unfavorable to that location. The 
second attempt to change the capital was successful.- 
On June 11, 1910 the people voted to make Oklahoma- 
City the seat of state government. Governor Haskell 
did not wait for formal change but immediately re¬ 
moved his office to the Huckins Hotel. Soon other of¬ 
ficials moved. 

At first the Governor’s and some other offices were 
in the Irving School building, some were in a hotel, 
while the legislature met in down-town rooms. Later 
the offices were moved from the Irving School to quar¬ 
ters in the business district. 

At a special session in 1913 the legislature created 
a Capitol Commission and appropriated money to 
erect a capitol building. Construction was be¬ 
gun in 1914 and the new building was occupied 
in 1917. The proposed dome, common to most 
state capitols, has not been built. 

State Institutions. Oklahoma Territory had 
already established five colleges and a few minor 
institutions. There were none on the Indian 
Territory side of the new state. In the eagerness 
to balance the number, the first two legislatures 
went to extremes in establishing new state in¬ 
stitutions. Political leaders and influential cen¬ 
ters had to be satisfied. As a result, fifteen new 
state institutions were established, twelve of 
them on the Indian Territory side. 

Others have been added from time to time until 
now it is often claimed that Oklahoma has more state 
institutions, especially colleges, than can be maintained 















48 


Challenge of Democracy 


economically and efficiently. Several attempts have 
been made to decrease the number, but they have not 
succeeded. 

Labor. From the beginning, our state has made 
serious efforts to improve the conditions of laborers. 
The Commissioners of Labor, Mine Inspectors, Com¬ 
missioners of Charities and Corrections, and other 
state agencies have striven to secure and enforce fair 
and favorable laws. 

Coal strikes have caused the most serious labor 
difficulties for the government of Oklahoma. In 1919 
and again in 1924 there were serious strikes of miners. 
In both instances state troops were used to guarantee 
safety and to hasten the settlement of the differences. 
In times of unrest and depression other groups of 
workers have gone on strikes, but rarely has Oklahoma 
experienced the hostility and suffering that have re¬ 
sulted in some other states. 

Better Highways. The state of Oklahoma came in 
with the automobile. Roads that had been built and 
maintained for horse-drawn vehicles were wholly in¬ 
adequate for automotive transportation. Most high¬ 
ways had been built on section lines, occasionally on 
half-section lines, but nearly always following these 


lines regardless of grade, and cost of roads and bridges. 

In 1911 our legislature created the Highway De¬ 
partment, but failed to give it the funds to improve 
conditions. In 1915 the law was improved to make it 
possible for the state to build a system of highways. 
Then began the auto license tax plan for building 
and maintaining roads for the state. From time to 
time the legislature has changed the size and plan of 
appointment of the Highway Department, but in gen¬ 
eral it has been so planned as to result in good roads, 
usually at leasonable efficiency and cost. 

Gasoline tax and legislative appropriations, in¬ 
creased by federal money in large sums, have pro¬ 
vided the vast sums that have been spent on Okla¬ 
homa’s roads and bridges in the past decade and a 
half. There is still much to do, both in planning the 
nature and work of the Commission and in the build¬ 
ing and maintenance of highways. 

Banking Laws. Safe places of deposit of private 
and public money are essential to modern civilization. 
One of the first important acts of our legislature was 
to pass the Bank Guaranty Law. While the plan has 
changed from time to time, the state has not ceased in 
its attempt to pass and enforce such laws as will 
make for greater safety of the banks. 



GOVERNOR MARLAND’S ADDRESS TO SENATE AND HOUSE 










You and Your State 


49 


In 1933, when the whole nation was witnessing a 
large number of bank failures, with the serious dam¬ 
age to so many individuals and lines of business, the 
governor ordered all banks closed until conditions could 
be adjusted. Then came President Roosevelt’s famous 
order to close all banks of the nation. After a few 
days arrangements had been made to open them grad¬ 
ually, and the crisis had passed. 

One of the important measures of the “New Deal” 
concerned the protection of depositors in banks. De¬ 
posits up to $5,000 are guaranteed in all National 
Banks. Also many Building and Loan Companies 
have been Federalized, stock up to $5,000 being guar¬ 
anteed. 

Public Revenue. As the state and its various sub¬ 
divisions increase their number and extent of services, 
the cost of government steadily rises. Increased school 
attendance, especially through the high school grades; 
more and better highways; more inspection and reg¬ 
ulation of many phases of life; and, recently, the great¬ 
ly increased burden of relief, have all added to the 
serious public problem of raising and distributing 
taxes. 

These difficult problems became much more acute 
in Governor Murray’s administration, when the whole 
nation was wrestling with the depression. The 1931 
session of the legislature focused its attention upon 
taxation. A new Tax Commission was created and 
given large power to improve the tax situation. 

How to balance the increased needs of public rev¬ 
enue and the decreased ability and willingness of many 
to pay taxes is, and will be for some time, the most 
difficult public problem. New sources and plans of 
taxation are being sought. A fairer spread of tax in 
proportion to ability to pay and benefits received will 
continue to be a grave and difficult matter. Over¬ 
lapping and duplication of governmental units and agen¬ 
cies cause much needless expense. Junior high school 
boys and girls of today must wrestle with these prob¬ 
lems as voters and officials within a few years. 

Boundary Dispute. Since 1819 the 100th meridian 
has been the eastern boundary of the Panhandle of 
Texas, hence it became the western boundary of 
much of Oklahoma. Recent surveys have proved that 
the line established and accepted as the 100th meridian 
was inaccurate. The corrected line averages about a 
half-mile east of the old. This has thrown a large 
number of farm homes out of Oklahoma and into 
Texas. The matter was finally settled by action of the 
United States Supreme Court and Congress in 1929. 
Adjustments over the changes are still to be made. 


Activities : 

1. Learn the words of one of the state songs. 

2. Make a small state flag and explain its sym¬ 
bolism. 

3. Review the symbolism of the state seal. 

4. Name state flowers of neighboring states. 

5. Trace on an outline map Coronado’s and De 
Soto’s lines of march, showing how each 
touched Oklahoma. 

6. Describe eastern Oklahoma as seen by the 
first French trappers. 

7. Give some French names that are found in 
Oklahoma. (Refer to Wright’s Story of Okla¬ 
homa and to Chronicles of Oklahoma, June 
1929, “French Names of Oklahoma.”) 

8. What is meant by the saying that new France 
was “a musket, a rosary, and a bail of beaver 
skins”? 

9. Make a collection of Indian articles. 

10. Make a collection of pictures of Indians. 

11. Write a biography of some important Indians 
of Oklahoma. 

12. Make a book of the best biographies and pre¬ 
sent it to the library. 

13. Bring to school any books or letters written 
in Indian language. 

14. Write a letter from Payne’s Boomer camp de¬ 
scribing the life and work of the Boomers. 

15. Dramatize the “Seven Ages of Man in Okla¬ 
homa,” from Dr. E. E. Dale’s Prairie Schooner. 

16. Make a report of life on a frontier claim. 

17. Read some of the poems of Daisy Lemon Cold- 
iron. 

Questions: 

1. What is the state flower of Oklahoma? 

2. What do the crosses on the state flag represent? 

3. What is the meaning of the state motto? 

4. When was the state flag adopted? 

5. What two Spaniards came to Oklahoma about 
1541? 

6. When and where was the first French explora¬ 
tion of Oklahoma of which we have a record? 

7. Did the French or the Spanish explorers make 
the most lasting impression on Oklahoma? 

8. Give a brief sketch of the important facts of the 
Louisiana Purchase. 

9. What man figured out a written language for 
the Cherokees? 

10. Name the Five Civilized Tribes. 

11. Draw a map like that on page 41, showing 
where the tribes were first placed. 

12. Why were the Five Tribes called civilized? 






50 


Challenge of Democracy 




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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 

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JVL4P SHOWING CONDITION 
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STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM 


JlprU IQ 3 8 

STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION 


W.E.Grisso - Chairman John L. Coffey - Member 
H N. Arnold - Vice Chairman A.L. Commons - Mcmb-Secy. 
Van T Moon - Chief Engineer 


DATES OF REVISION 
July uti .1957 
August 1515,1057 
October 27"1Q37 
November 2415,1937 
December 2815,1937 

February 111? fS3Q 
July 2515, 1930 


Scale 


20 


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40 


50 


MILES 


jCecjend 


Conc.,Asph on Cone., or Brick Pavement 
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Oil Treated Gravel. 

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Highways Not Maintained. 


; Accumulated Mileage 6 Mileage Between Junctions. 

— Railroads. 


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State Highway Numbers. 
U.S. Highway Numbers 
Farm - to Market Roads. 


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You and Your State 



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52 


Challenge op Democracy 


13. When the Civil War broke out, which side did 
most of the tribes join? 

14. What were the terms of the treaty that the In¬ 
dians had to sign at the close of the Civil War? 

15. Find out how many Indians are in your class. 
To what tribe do they belong? 

16. Name five early Oklahoma forts. 

17. With what tribes are the following associated 
as leaders: 

Stand Watie 
John Ross 
Quanah Parker 
William McIntosh 
Geronimo 
Sequoyah 

18. What is the difference between - a Boomer and a 
Sooner? 

19. Who was the leader of the Boomers? 

20. What was the purpose of the land office? 

21. Who was governor during the building of the 
Capitol ? 

22. When was the first opening of land to white 
settlement in Oklahoma? 

23. Make a list of openings of land in Oklahoma; 
tell when each was opened and how it was 
opened. 

24. What was the Sequoyah Convention? 

25. For what did the Enabling Act provide? 

Terms we should know : 


acquisition 

subservient 

Arkansas Post 

betoken 

paternalism 

vintage 

expedition 

floral 

cede 

graphic 

trading post 

lofty ideals 

half-breed 

forty-sixth state 

tribal 

Sooner 

allotment 

Boomer 

headright 

reservation 

syllabary 

big pasture 

epidemics 

filed 

Plains Indians 

unassigned 

tribe 

Greer County 

nation 

quarter-section 

emblem 

Cherokee Strip 

defensive 

eighty-niner 

calumet 

townsite 


Suggested Readings on Oklahoma History 

Buchanan and Dale, A History of Oklahoma, 1924 
Dale and Rader, Readings in Oklahoma History, 1930 
Harlow, Oklahoma, 1934 


Montgomery, Mosier, and Bethel, The Growth of Okla¬ 
homa, 1933 

Wright, The Story of Oklahoma, 1930 
Wyatt and Rainey, History of Oklahoma, 1919 

Exploration and Purchase. B&D, Ch. I-IV; D&R, Ch. 
MV; H, Ch. I-IX; M,M,&B, Ch. II-VIII; W, Ch. 
II-VI; W&R, pp. 20-34. 

The Five Tribes, B&D Ch. VI-VIII; D&R, V-IX; H, 
X-XXXVI; M,M,&B, Ch. VIII-XI; W, Ch. VIII- 

X, XIII-XVI, and XVII-XVIII; W&R, pp. 34-65. 

Plains Indians. B&D, Ch. IX; D&R, Ch. X; H, Chs. 
XVIII and XXXVII; M,M,&B, Ch. XIII; W. Chs. 
XII and XIX; W&R, pp. 66-71. 

Railroads, Towns, and White Population of Indian Ter¬ 
ritory, B&D, Ch. XIV; M,M,&B, Chs. XVI and XX; W. 
Chs. XXIV and XXV. 

The Cattle Country, B&D, Ch. X; D&R Ch. XI; M,M,&B, 
Ch. XV; W, Ch. XXII and XXIII; W&R, pp. 71-79. 

The “Openings.” B&D, Chs. XI and XII; D&R, Chs. 
XIII-XV; H, Chs. XXXVIII-XLI; M,M,&B, Chs. XVII- 
XVIII; W. Chs. XVI-XVII; W&R,pp. 79-93. 

Oklahoma Territory. B&D, Ch. XIII; D&R, Ch. XIV; 
H, Ch. XLII; M,M,&B, Ch. XIX; W. Ch. XXVIII; W&R, 
pp. 89-97. 

Obtaining Statehood. B&D, Ch. XV; D&R, Ch. XVI; H. 
Chs. XLIV and XLV; M,M,&B, Chs. XXI and XXII; 
W, Chs. XXIX and XXX; W&R, pp. 102-111. 

Oklahoma Since 1907. B&D, Chs. XVI-XVIII; D&R, Ch. 
XVII; H. Chs. XLVI-LIV; M,M,&B, Chs. XXIII-XX1V; 
W, pp. 283-318; W&R, pp. 111-130. 

Most of these books have several other good brief 
portions that may be found by using the tables of 
contents. The list of references given above is not in¬ 
tended to be a detailed list. 

General Readings: 

Aydelotte, Dora, Trumpets Calling 

Botkin, B. O., Southwest Scene 

Coldiron, D. L., Songs of Oklahoma (Poetry) 

Cosgrove, E. W., Scrub Oak and Mistletoe 
Dale, E. E., Prairie Schooner and Other Poems 
Ferber, Edna, Cimarron 

Foreman, Grant, Indian Removal, Five Civilized Tribes 
Gould, Chas. N., Oklahoma Place Names 
Irving, Washington, Tour of the Prairies 
Oklahoma Emblems, Oklahoma Library Commission 
Oliver, Jennie Harris, Red Earth (Poetry) 

Seger, J. H., Early Days Among the Cheyenne and Arap¬ 
ahoe Indians 

Shanks, G. E., State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs 





You and Your State 


53 


Part 3—Government of Oklahoma 


OKLAHOMA BECOMES A STATE 

The Enabling Act. As a state, Oklahoma is young. 
From 1889 to 1907 the western half was an “organized” 
territory, known as Oklahoma Territory. It had a non¬ 
voting delegate in Congress. Territorial officials, ex¬ 
cept legislators, were appointed by the President of 
the United States. The capital was at Guthrie. The 
maps in the unit on Oklahoma History show how the 
opening of one reservation after another added new 
counties. These had county government and township 
government within, while the towns had such govern¬ 
ment as the legislature provided. 

The eastern half was Indian Territory. It was not 
“organized.” There was only tribal government for 
the Indians and inadequate indirect government from 
Washington for the rapidly increasing whites and 
Negroes. There was no representation in Congress. The 
Indian Bureau and other Washington offices, assisted 
by federal courts, carried on unsatisfactory govern¬ 
ment. 

In the summer of 1906, seventeen years after the 
first opening and sixteen years after the formation of 
Oklahoma Territory, Congress passed the Enabling Act. 
This “enabled” the two territories to form one state. 
Thus ended the long struggle over “single” or “double” 
statehood. The act prescribed how the people of the 
two territories were to go about forming a state gov¬ 
ernment. It also included certain specific regulations 
and restrictions that were to be observed, such as Pro¬ 
hibition for twenty-one years in the Indian Territory 
portion. 

The Constitutional Convention. Just as was true 
of the nation more than a century before, the state must 
first write a constitution. It is the basis of all form 
and purpose of government. The Enabling Act pro¬ 
vided that each territory was to form 55 districts and 
the Osage Reservation, two. From each, a delegate was 
to be elected to meet at Guthrie to draft the constitu¬ 
tion. An election chose an overwhelmingly Democratic 
membership. The twelve Republicans were jokingly 
called the “Twelve Apostles.” Some of the features 
were written to suit the political principles of the ma¬ 
jority party. 

The delegates included many men who had been 
prominent in the public affairs of the two territories. 
William H. Murray, later Governor of the state, was 
chosen President of the Convention. Three other dele¬ 
gates, Charles N. Haskell, Robert L. Williams, and 


IJenry S. Johnston, were later elected Governors. Others 
became prominent in Oklahoma history. 

The Convention began work November 20, 1906 at 
Guthrie and worked steadily for about four months. 
Later, in the spring and summer, two short sessions 
were held of about a week each. When agreements were 
reached on all points and the Convention finally ap¬ 
proved the constitution as a whole, Frank Frantz, last 
Governor of Oklahoma Territory, called an election to 
vote on ratification. He set the date for September 17th. 
This was exactly 120 years after the Federal Constitu¬ 
tion was ratified by the Constitutional Convention. 
These two events make September 17th an important 
“Constitution” day for Oklahoma. 

Assuming that ratification was assured, both par¬ 
ties had nominated state tickets, which were voted upon 
at the same election. The people at the polls ap¬ 
proved the proposed constitution by a large majority. 
They elected the Democratic candidate, Charles N. Has¬ 
kell, for Governor, over Frank Frantz. A full list of 
Democrats were chosen as state officials to organize 
the 46th state of the Union. 

OKLAHOMA’S CONSTITUTION- 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 

The New Constitution. By Presidential proclama¬ 
tion the new state formally began on November 16th. 
That is the date that we now observe as Statehood Day. 
As provided in the Enabling Act, the capital was at 
Guthrie, where it remained till 1910. 

Oklahoma soon attracted wide attention because of 
its constitution. In the first place it is extremely long, 
and in the second place it has some provisions that were, 
for that time, very progressive, almost radical. It de¬ 
scribes in detail the various forms of government for 
state, county and town. 

The Preamble. Repeat, if you can, the Preamble 
of the Federal Constitution. If not, turn back and 
read it. Then notice the words of Oklahoma’s Preamble. 
“Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to 
secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty; to se¬ 
cure just and rightful government; to promote our mu¬ 
tual welfare and happiness, we the people of the State 
of Oklahoma, do ordain and establish this Constitution.” 
Again, “We, the people,” acting through our duly 
chosen representatives. 

Federal Relations. Note that we became a state 





54 


Challenge of Democracy 


with the approval and in accordance with certain pro¬ 
visions of the federal government. Section 1 of Article 
I reads, “The State of Oklahoma is an inseparable part 
of the Federal Union, and the Constitution of the 
United States is the supreme law of the land.” 
There was no debate nor doubt about Oklahoma’s 
relation to the Union. It is an “inseparable part.” 
Nothing in the new constitution nor anything to be 
added to it later can be in violation of the Federal 
Constitution, the “supreme law of the land.” 

Article I contains other interesting and important 
provisions and assurances. Some of these are included 
or implied in the Federal Constitution. There must be 
“perfect toleration of religious sentiment.” No one 
may be kept from worshiping as he wishes. The new 
state must establish and maintain a system of public 
schools, conducted in English, and “kept free from 
church control.” 

When the people voted in 1907 on adopting the con¬ 
stitution they voted also on making prohibition of in¬ 
toxicating liquors general over the whole state, which 
carried with a large vote. 

Bill of Rights. Like the Federal Constitution the 
state has a Bill of Rights. The 33 sections of article II 
include an assurance of certain rights which Americans 
cherish. The last of the sections makes it plain that 
any right for any reason omitted from this long list 
was not for that reason denied to the people. The in¬ 
habitants of Indian Territory had for so long been with¬ 
out the benefits of good, organized government, and 
those of Oklahoma Territory had been so dissatisfied 
with government from Washington that they wanted 
the assurance which this long list gave. 

The first section of this article reaffirms the Ameri¬ 
can doctrine that all political power belongs to the 
people. Other sections assure the right to “life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and the “en¬ 
joyment of the gains of their own industry.” We 
are given further assurance of the right to “assemble 
peaceably” for our own good; to petition for “redress 
of grievances”; and to have free speech and a free 
press. Complete separation of church and state as well 
as religious liberty are assured. Provision is made for 
justice under the law and in the courts, and protec¬ 
tion from official neglect or persecution made sure. 

These rights we now take for granted. In fact 
we often abuse them. In some other leading nations 
there is neither freedom of the press nor free speech; 
the right to assemble and to worship is restricted. Ameri¬ 
cans fail to appreciate these blessings. 

Suffrage. The states determine who have the right 


to vote so long as they do not prevent a person because 
of “race, color, previous condition of servitude, or sex." 
The constitution of the United States now sets these lim¬ 
its. Citizens of the United States and of the state, in¬ 
cluding native Indians, 21 years of age, are given the 
right to vote. Residence in the state of one year, in 
the county of six months, and in the election precinct 
of thirty days preceding the election, is required to 
vote in all elections. 

Inmates of certain state institutions are distinctly 
denied the right to vote. No difference between races 
is either mentioned or implied, but voters must be able 
to read and write. 

Elections. The legislature is required to create an 
Election Board. Its members must include representa^ 
tives of at least two political parties. This Board de¬ 
termines the time and manner of holding elections. 
Along with the County Election Boards, since created, 
it has charge of printing and distributing ballots. It 
appoints officials for each polling place and receives 
official election returns. 

The constitution provides for a “primary” (first) 
election to be held in the summer preceding the gen¬ 
eral election in the fall. In Oklahoma Territory the 
nominations had been made at conventions. Party 
leaders decided its candidates for each office. Under 
the primary plan the party nominees are selected by 
the voters who have registered as of that party. Any 
citizen who meets the legal requirements for an office 
may “announce” for that office and have his name 
printed on the ticket. He then “runs” for the office, 
taking his chance with other candidates in winning 
votes. The candidate with the most votes in the pri¬ 
mary becomes the party candidate for the office and 
in the fall election opposes the candidates of other 
parties. 

So many have often announced for the various 
offices that the average voter can not know enough of 
them well to vote intelligently. Most of those whose 
names he reads on the ballot are total strangers to 
him. Others have been too badly misrepresented, 
either favorably or unfavorably, for him to know how 
to choose. As a result of splitting the votes among 
so many, the winner often receives a minority, possibly 
a small minority, of the total votes. This may enable 
a relatively weak candidate to win the primary elec¬ 
tion. If of the majority party, he then wins in the 
general election and becomes a state, county, or town 
official. 

Article III also provided that when United States 
Senators should be elected by popular vote the legisla- 








You and Your State 


55 


ture should provide for such election. That was six 
years before the federal amendment which provided 
for popular election of United States Senators. Until 
then they were chosen by the legislatures of their 
states. 

Distribution of Powers. Article IV reads as fol¬ 
lows: “The powers of the government of the State of 
Oklahoma shall be divided into three separate depart¬ 
ments: The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; and 
except as provided in this Constitution, the Legislative, 
Executive, and Judicial departments of government 
shall be separate and distinct, and neither shall exer¬ 
cise the powers properly belonging to either of the 
others.” This policy is patterned after the govern¬ 
ment of the nation and of other states. Each is given 
specific duties and powers and also checks upon the 
other two. It is interesting to watch for these “checks 
and balances.” 

Activities: 

1. Write a letter from either Guthrie or Oklaho¬ 
ma City telling of the moving of the state capi¬ 
tal. 

2. Using Manley’s “Pursuit of Happiness,” make 
a report to the class telling why the State Con¬ 
stitution of Oklahoma was so long. 

3. Dramatize scenes from the Constitutional Con¬ 
vention. 

4. Arrange a primary and run-off primary election 
for the state offices. 

5. Debate: Resolved, that Oklahoma Territory was 
a better place to live in than Indian Territory. 

Exercises : 

1. Why was Indian Territory more influential 
than Oklahoma Territory in the Constitutional 
Convention ? 

2. What was the western part of early Oklahoma 
called and when was it made a territory? 

3. What was the eastern part of early Oklahoma 
called and when was it made a territory? 

4. Where was the capital of the organized terri¬ 
tory? 

5. How were territorial governors chosen? 

6. What act made it possible for the two terri¬ 
tories to become a state? 

7. What were some of the interesting features of 
the Oklahoma Constitution? 

8. When did Oklahoma officially become a state? 

9. Who may vote in this state? 

10. Can women hold state offices in Oklahoma? 

11. What are the duties of the state and county 
election boards? 


12. Explain the primary election system in Oklaho¬ 
ma. 

13. Compare the Bill of Rights of the United States 
Constitution with that of the State of Oklaho¬ 
ma as to length and subject matter. 

Terms we should know : 
preamble 
unassigned lands 
sectarian 
primary 

announce for office 
run for office 

References : 

Buchanan and Dale, History of Oklahoma, Ch. 25, 
pp. 272-289 

Gittinger, Roy, Formation of State of Oklahoma, 
Ch. XII, pp. 196-214 

Harlow, Victor E., Oklahoma, Ch. 41, pp. 267-311 
Hill, Community Life and Civic Problems, pp.. 456- 
458 

Hughes, H. 0. Civic Training, pp. 269-278 (gener¬ 
al discussion of territory to statehood) 

Hughes, R. 0., Elementary Civics, (Dale Supple¬ 
ment), pp. 7-13 

Wright, M., Story of Oklahoma 

LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT 

Popular Legislation (made by the people). In a 
pure democracy the people would make their own laws. 
But we have seen that our country is too large for pure 
democracy so we have “representative” government both 
in nation and state. But these representatives are not 
always as able or dependable as people wish, so a 
method which gives the people greater control over the 
laws has been adopted in Oklahoma and a few other 
states. This is called Initiative and Referendum. 

Again we have two big words to leam but you can 
easily see that Initiative comes from the word “ini¬ 
tiate” which means to start, and Referendum comes 
from “refer” which means “to ask.” 

Let us see how the Initiative is used. If 8% of 
the legal voters in the state sign a petition to have a 
certain proposed law voted upon by the people, or if 
15% petition for an election on a proposed amendment 
to the constitution, such an election shall be called. 
The time of the election is determined by the Governor. 

A total of 83 measures has been voted on by the 
people, 42 Initiated and 41 Referred. Of these 22 have 
carried by the required majority. 

Some of the measures approved in this way have 
been: Permanently locating a capital city; Securing a site 


suffrage 

territory 

legislative 

executive 

judicial 

ballot 





56 


Challenge of Democracy 


for the Capitol building; Ratifying popular election of 
United States Senators; Gradually discontinuing town¬ 
ship government; Woman suffrage; and, Legalizing the 
sale of beer. Others have dealt with taxation. 

Although thirty-nine attempts have been made to 
amend the constitution through popular vote, only five 
times in twenty-seven years have amendments been se¬ 
cured. 

Article XXIV of the constitution provides that 
once every twenty years the people shall vote upon 
whether or not they want a new Constitutional Con¬ 
vention. In 1926 such a proposal was voted down 
47,510 to 241,040. 

Many measures are circulated for petitions and 
are never filed, or else are filed and withdrawn. In 
some cases an election is not called. Much as these 
ideas and methods of popular legislation have been 
abused, they remain a safety device for the voters. 
Some measures can not be understood by most voters 
and are not of the kind that should be submitted to 
vote. On others there is not an opportunity to get an 
impartial view of both sides. Probably the greatest 
drawback has been the lack of attention given to these 
measures when too many are submitted at a time or 
at a general election. 

The Legislature. A very small part of the total 
of Oklahoma’s law making is done directly by the 
people. As in other states, the legislature passes most 
of the laws. Ours is a “bicameral,” two-house legis¬ 
lature. We call our upper house the Senate, just as is 
done in Congress. It has 44 members, elected by dis¬ 
tricts. Counties with small population are thrown to¬ 
gether to form a Senatorial district. More populous 
counties, like Oklahoma and Tulsa, have one. Who is 
Senator from Oklahoma County? The members of the 
upper house are elected for four years, half of the terms 
expiring at each election. A Senator must be at least 
25 years old and a resident of the district which elects 
him. 

We call our lower chamber the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives, often the House. It now has 120 members, 
the number having been increased since 1907, as has 
that of the Senate. Representatives must be 21 years 
old and residents of their districts. They are elected 
for two years. The density of population determines 
the size of the district, except that “no county shall 
ever take part in the election of more than seven repre¬ 
sentatives.” At present, 51 counties have one member 
each; 18 have two; five have three; and one has four. 
Oklahoma County already has seven. 


Our legislature meets biennially, (every two years) 
beginning on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 
in January of odd-numbered years. The Governor may 
call special sessions for emergency legislation, specified 
by him. The regular sessions are supposed to be limited 
to 60 days of actual work, but no legislature gets 
through in that time. After the 60 days have passed 
the daily pay for legislators is reduced from six dollars 
to two. 

The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Sen¬ 
ate. In his absence the presiding officer is the Presi¬ 
dent pro tempore, elected at the beginning of the term 
from among the Senators. The Lieutenant Governor 
is not a Senator. You will remember that in Congress 
the Vice President has a similar position. The Senate 
chooses its standing committees, who really do the 
important legislative work for the upper house. 

The presiding officer of the House is the Speaker, 
chosen by the members from among their number. In 
reality he is chosen in advance in a caucus of the 
members of the majority party and later formally 
elected by the House. His power to select the com¬ 
mittees and the great influence that he has as leader 
of the lower house makes him for a time a very im¬ 
portant and powerful leader. An effort is usually made 
to choose a Speaker who can work in harmony wfith 
the Governor, so that best legislative results may be 
had. 

The Senate has some powers that the House does 
not. It must approve the important appointments 
made by the Governor. Here is one of the “checks and 
balances”. Impeachment trials are conducted by the 
Senate with the Chief Justice of the State Supreme 
Court presiding. 

The House, too, has some powers peculiar to it. 
All bills for raising money must originate in the House, 
though the Senate may amend them. Again we see 
each house having a financial “check” upon the other. 
The Senate can not conduct an impeachment trial un¬ 
less the House has voted charges against the official. 

Bills are drawn, discussed, and passed in much 
the same way as in Congress. This discussion need 
not be repeated, but it will be worth while to turn back 
to Unit One and read that portion. Probably legis¬ 
lators are more influenced by lobbying than are Con¬ 
gressmen. The distance between the State Capital and 
the districts represented is so much less than is true 
of Congressmen that more immediate and powerful 
pressure can be brought on members to influence their 
votes. This would be a valuable influence if it were 
not abused. 




You and Your State 


57 


Activities : 

1. Visit the Capitol and see the Senate and House 
chambers and Supreme Court Room. If the leg¬ 
islature is in session be sure to visit both houses. 
You need not stay long. (Remember that boys 
and girls in other parts of the state do not have 
this opportunity hence they may see more than 
you do when they have a chance.) 

2. Write an initiative petition to unite two Home 
Rooms and carry it through the rest of the 
process. 

3. Form a committee from the House to bring im¬ 
peachment charges against some state official. 
Write the charges. 

4. Debate: Resolved, that a bicameral (two-housed 
legislature is more efficient than a unicameral 
(one-house) legislature. 

5. Organize the class into a session of the State 
Senate. 

Questions : 

1. What methods of securing “popular legislation” 
does Oklahoma have? 

2. Name some laws that have been made this way. 

3. Who is the presiding officer of the Senate? 

i 

4. Who is the presiding officer of the House? 

5. How did they get their positions? 

6. What are the qualifications of a member of 
the Senate and House? 

7. Why is the pay of the legislature reduced to two 
dollars a day at the expiration of sixty days? 

8. Is it possible for the speaker to become more 
powerful than the governor? 

9. Why does the Justice of the Supreme Court pre¬ 
side at impeachment trials? (Refer to Con¬ 
stitution, Article 8) 

10. Is it possible for the Senate to appropriate 
money if the bill does not start in the House? 

Terms we should know: 

Reader 
Journal 
biennial 
appropriation 
Chaplain 
bicameral 
initiative 
referendum 
bill 

majority 
minority 

References : 

Hughes, R. O., Elementary Community Civics (Dale 
Supplement) pp. 15-20 


A copy of the Oklahoma State Constitution may be 
found in Harlow’s Oklahoma and Manley’s Pur¬ 
suit of Happiness. 

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 

The Governor is the Chief Executive. The con¬ 
stitution says, “The Supreme Executive power shall be 
vested in a Chief Magistrate, who shall be styled ‘The 
Governor of the State of Oklahoma’.” The Governor 
must be a man, at least 30 years old. He is chosen for 
four years by state-wide election and can not immedi¬ 
ately succeed himself. 

In many respects he corresponds to the President 
of the United States. He is commander of the State 
Militia. He makes many appointments to office, some 
of them of great importance and influence. He is ex- 
officio on some of the most powerful boards and com¬ 
missions. He can call special sessions of the legislature 
and has veto power over their legislation. In fact, 
strong governors have much more power than is indi¬ 
cated in the constitution. By their messages to the 
legislature and through their work with committees 
and members of the legislature they may and do direct 
much of the legislation. The Governor has extensive 
pardon power, probably more than can be properly • 
handled without able assistance from boards and offi¬ 
cials who give their full time to examining the claims 
of prisoners who seek pardons or paroles. 

Just as the President has the White House pro¬ 
vided for him by the nation, so we provide the “Man¬ 
sion” for our Governor. It is just east of the Capitol. 
The use of this residence, with expenses of it paid by 
the state, is in addition to the Governor’s salary of 
$6,500 per year. 

The Lieutenant Governor is elected at the same 
time as the Governor and must have the same quali¬ 
fications, since he may succeed to the chief executive 
position. Governors Trapp and Holloway succeeded 
to the Governorship in this way when the legislature 
impeached the men then in the chief position. As 
stated above, he presides over the Senate. He also acts 
as Chief Executive when the Governor is out of the 
state. Ordinarily when he is serving for these short 
times he performs only those official acts that can not 
well wait on the Governor’s return, though some Lieu¬ 
tenant Governors have used such opportunities to per¬ 
form acts that they knew were contrary to the Gov¬ 
ernor’s policy and wishes. 

The Secretary of State, elected for four years, and 
also required to be a male citizen at least 30 years 
old, “shall keep a register of the official acts of the 


Page 

quorum 

interstate 

intrastate 

Lieutenant Governor 

unicameral 

symbol 

veto 

emergency 

impeachment 

revenue 




58 


Challenge of Democracy 


Governor”. He has official charge of the State Seal. 
When he attaches this to a law, proclamation, or other 
paper it then becomes official. The legislature may 
prescribe other duties. He is ex-officio member of 
some commissions. 

The State Examiner and Inspector must be an ex¬ 
perienced expert accountant. Twice each year, with¬ 
out notice, his department must examine all financial 
accounts of the state and of each county. He must 
annually make a report of his findings. He prescribes 
uniform systems of bookkeeping for such officials. 

The Insurance Commissioner must “be at least 
twenty-five years of age and well versed in insurance 
matters”. It is his duty to see that insurance laws and 
rules are enforced. He advises insurance companies 
and individuals concerned. 

The Commissioner of Labor sees that labor legis¬ 
lation is enforced. He represents the state in impor¬ 
tant labor matters, especially during strikes. It is part 
of his duty to see that conditions of laborers are as 
safe and healthful as possible. The constitution states 
that “his duties shall be prescribed by law”, thus mak¬ 
ing it possible for his powers and duties to be in¬ 
creased. 

The Chief Mine Inspector must have had “eight 
years’ actual experience as a practical miner”, and 
such other qualifications as the legislature may decide 
upon. He enforces the laws with reference to mines 
and oil and gas wells. There are districts with as¬ 
sistant inspectors over them to see that laws and rules 
are enforced. 

The State Auditor passes on all claims on the 
state. When his office approves such a claim, the State 
Treasurer’s office writes a warrant for the amount 
specified. Such warrants have the same significance 
for the state as an individual’s bank checks have for 
him. 

The State Treasurer has charge of state moneys. 
It is the duty of his office to collect all money due to 
the state, keep account of it, and pay the state’s bills. 
He deposits state money in the banks and collects in¬ 
terest from them for its use. 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction is at the 
head of the educational system of the state. More 
will be said about his office in the section on education. 

The Attorney General is the state’s lawyer. He 
and his assistants represent the state in court cases, 
interpret some laws, and assist county attorneys. 

The Commissioner of Charities and Corrections is 


the only official elected state-wide who, by constitu¬ 
tional provision, may be of either sex. The constitu¬ 
tion provides in Article IV that the Governor, Lieuten¬ 
ant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, Attor¬ 
ney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Pub¬ 
lic Instruction, and the Examiner and Inspector must 
be men. Some others are not specified, and other state 
offices have been created since 1907. There has been 
growing sentiment for an amendment to make women 
eligible for any state office. 

Any public jail, reformatory, asylum, orphanage, 
or hospital must be regularly investigated by this Com¬ 
missioner. The constitution says that “it is hereby 
made his or her duty to investigate the entire system 
of public charities and corrections”. The moral and 
sanitary conditions of these places need constant super¬ 
vision to assure the public and the friends of inmates 
that conditions are right. With one exception Okla¬ 
homa’s Commissioners of Charities and Corrections 
have been women. 

The President of the Board of Agriculture is an¬ 
other official elected by the state as a whole. The 
other members of that Board are appointed by the 
Governor. This Board has charge of the A. & M. Col¬ 
lege and the other state schools that include special 
training along agricultural lines. 

The Clerk of the Supreme Court is another state 
official elected by popular vote. These last two, as well 
as some of the others, are sometimes suggested for 
change to appointive offices. The list of officials who 
seek state office is so long and the number of candi¬ 
dates seeking these positions so large that this “long 
ballot” makes it difficult for voters to vote intelligently. 
There is constant agitation for a “short ballot”, making 
more places appointive. 

The Corporation Commission. When our constitu¬ 
tion was drafted there was much dissatisfaction all 
over America because of the influence and power of 
corporations. Business organizations secured state 
charters to operate in various lines of industry. To 
control these better we have a Corporation Commission 
of three members, elected for six years, one member 
retiring at each biennial election. It is their chief duty 
to investigate and regulate rates which these corpor¬ 
ations charge for their services. 

With the exception of the Corporation Commis¬ 
sioners these state officials are elected for four year 
terms. All but Governor, Secretary of State, State 
Auditor, and State Treasurer may be elected to suc¬ 
ceed themselves. Vacancies are filled by appointment 
by the Governor. 




You and Your State 


59 


The state performs numerous and various serv¬ 
ices. Many of these are in the nature of examination 
of specialists and inspection and supervision of cer¬ 
tain lines of work. Below are listed the appointive 
state officials, boards, and commissions, as given in the 
Directory of the State of Oklahoma—1937. 

After each board or commission is given in paren¬ 
theses the number of people on the board or commis¬ 
sion. In many cases these are men and women en¬ 
gaged in full time business or profession of their own. 
They give a few days each year in attending meetings 
of their body. Where only one is given it indicates 
full time work for the state. Some or all of the mem¬ 
bers of some groups are ex officio, that is, state officials 
who serve on these boards. Notice how wide is the 
range of duties. You are not expected to learn these, 
but the list may give you some idea of the extent of 
state activity. 

1. State Health Commissioner (1) 

2. Board of Barber Examiners (3) 

3. Board of Cosmetology (3) 

4. Board of Chiropody (3) 

5. State Board of Embalmers (3) 

6. State Board of Examining and Registering 
Nurses (5) 

7. Board of Chiropractic Examiners (4) 

8. State Board of Dental Examiners (9) 

9. State Board of Medical Examiners (7) 

10. Board of Osteopathy (3) 

11. Board of Pharmacy (5) 

12. Board of Commissioners for the Adult Blind (5) 

13. State Veterinarian (1) 

14. State Board of Veterinary Examiners (5) 

15. Dairy Commissioner (1) 

16. State Grain Inspector (1) 

17. Market Commissioner (1) 

18. Conservation Commission (3) 

19. Game and Fish Commission (4) 

20. Board of Agriculture (5) 

21. State Board of Registering Professional Engi¬ 
neers (5) 

22. State Fire Marshal (1) 

23. State Board of Education (7) 

24. Textbook Commission (6) 

25. Oklahoma Library Commission (4) 

26. State Insurance Board (3) 

27. Fraternal Insurance Board (4) 

28. Adjutant General (1) 

29. Commissioner of Pensions (1) 

30. Soldiers Relief Commission (3) 

31. Board of Accountancy (5) 


32. Bank Commissioner (1) 

33. Banking Board (3) 

34. Budget Officer (1) 

35. Oklahoma Tax Commission (3) 

36. Tax Review Court (3) 

37. Board of Affairs (3) 

38. Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investiga¬ 
tion (1) 

39. Pardon and Parole Attorney (1) 

40. Assistants Attorney General (12) 

41. State Factory Inspector (1) 

42. State Reporter (1) 

43. State Board of Equalization (8) Ex officio 

44. State Industrial Commission (3) 

45. Highway Commission (5) 

46. Board of Arbitration and Conciliation (6) 

47. Oklahoma Securities Commission (1) 

48. State Building and Loan Board (4) 

49. State Election Board (3) 

50. State Mining Board (5) 

51. School Land Commission (6) Ex officio 

52. Oklahoma State Planning Board (8) 

53. Board of Directors of Grand River Dam Author¬ 
ity (3) 

54. Old Fort Gibson Stockade Commission (3) 

55. Commission of Public Safety (1) 

56. Anatomical Board (3) 

57. Board of Architects Examiners (5) 

58. Athletic Commission (3) 

59. State Bar of Oklahoma (14) 

60. Board of Examiners in Basic Sciences (7) 

70. Coordinating Board (15) 

71. Department of Labor 

72. Unemployed Compensation and Placement Div. (6) 

73. State Board of Directors Free Fair Assn. (5) 

74. Geological Survey (1) 

75. Haskell Memorial Assn. (3) 

76. Industrial Welfare Commission (3) 

77. Insurance Fund (5) 

78. Interstate Cooperation Commission (18) 

79. Interstate Oil Compact Commission (5) 

80. State Library (1) 

81. Livestock Registry Board (3) 

82. National Guard (1) 

83. Oil and Gas Conservation (3) 

84. Petroleum Experiment Station (1) 

85. Board of Public Affairs (4) 

86. Dept, of Public Safety (5) 

87. Public Welfare Board (6) 

88. Public Welfare Commission (9) 

89. Will Rogers Memorial Commission (15) 








60 


Challenge of Democracy 


90. Soldiers Memorial Commission (6) 

91. Vocational Education (1) 

The State Seal. The last section of Article IV of 
the Constitution describes the GREAT SEAL OF THE 
STATE OF OKLAHOMA. The following description 
has been borrowed because it is more interesting than 
in the constitution. A study of the picture as you read 
the description will prove profitable. 

The conception of the Oklahoma State Seal is 
peculiarly happy in that it combines in a perfect 
symbol the Great Seal of the Territory of Oklahoma 
with those of the Five Civilized Tribes, the Great 
Seal of the Territory being the central device with¬ 
in a five-pointed star. No more fitting motif could 
be employed than this pleasing group. The Red 
man, in the panoply of ceremonial dress—feather 
headdress and beaded breastplate—with his signifi¬ 
cant Pipe of Peace, clasps in friendly fashion the 
hand of his white brother, clad in the suit of a 
frontiers-man—bespeaking a man of peaceful agricul¬ 
tural pursuits by the hoe which he carries in his left 
hand. Just back of the two figures stands Columbia, 
representing the blind-folded Goddess of Justice and 
Statehood—her ample form gracefully draped in the 
American Flag—her bodice studded with stars. She 
bears aloft in her left hand the scales of justice and 
equality—the weights evenly balanced. Above her head 
is this legend, “Labor Omnia Vincit”, which, trans¬ 
lated, is “Labor Conquers All”. Beneath her feet is 
the overflowing horn of plenty and surrounding the 
entire figure is a wreath of oak leaves. The upper left- 
hand ray contains the symbol of the ancient Cherokee 
nation—namely, a seven-pointed star, representing the 
seven clans of the Cherokee nation, partially sur¬ 
rounded by a wreath of oak leaves. The ray directed 
upward contains the symbol of the ancient seal of the 
Chickasaw Nation, namely, an Indian warrior standing 
upright with bow and shield. The lower left-hand ray 
contains the symbol of the ancient seal of the Creek 
Nation, namely, a sheaf of wheat and a plow. The 
npper right-hand ray contains the symbol of the 
ancient seal of the Choctaw Nation—namely, a toma¬ 
hawk, bow and three crossed arrows. The right-hand 
ray contains the symbol of the ancient seal of the Semi¬ 
nole Nation, namely, a village with houses and a fac¬ 
tory beside a lake upon which an Indian is paddling 
a canoe. Surrounding the central star and grouped 
between its rays are forty-five small stars, divided into 
five clusters of nine stars each, representing the forty- 
five states of the Union, to which the forty-sixth is now 
added. In a circular band surrounding the whole de¬ 


vice is inscribed: “Great Seal of the State of Okla¬ 
homa, 1907”. 

As the walls of the beautiful Taj-Mahal, on which 
is written in flashing jewels the entire Koran, or Mo¬ 
hammedan Bible, bespeak a nation’s artistry and its 
sacred record, so should our beloved State Seal, beau¬ 
tiful in execution with its star-spangled background 
and history-laden surface, become an object of pride 
and veneration to every citizen of the great State of 
Oklahoma. 


Activities : 

1. Write a letter from your grandfather describ¬ 
ing the Walton barbecue. (Dale and Rader, 
Readings in Oklahoma, p. 730) 

2. Construct a miniature of the state Capitol. 

3. Construct the state seal. 

4. Refer to the dictionary in the library and see 
some other state seals.—Why is ours partic¬ 
ularly fitted for this state? 

5. Choose seventeen members of the class to im¬ 
personate state officers and explain their duties. 

Questions : 

1. Upon what official does the governor de¬ 
pend to execute the law, quell riots, and other 
ways use force, if necessary to carry out his 
orders ? 

2. What officer would represent Oklahoma in case 
another state would claim some of our land? 

3. What is the Governor’s salary? What other 
remuneration does he have? 

4. Compare the duties of the Governor and the 
Lieutenant Governor. 

5. Be able to explain the great Seal of the State. 

6. What three officials have the most to do with 
the state funds and accounts? 

7. Which state official’s work seems to you the 
most interesting? Why? 

8. Make a list of ten boards or commissions that 
are appointed by the Governor. 

9. Name some of the main duties of the Corpora¬ 
tion Commission. 

10. What administrative officer is elected for a term 
of six years rather than the usual four years? 

Terms ice should know : 


ex officio 

militia 

auditor 

proclamation 

commission 

pardon 


reprieve 

warrant 

parole 

gross production tax 
income tax 

charities and corrections 




You and Your State 


61 


Adjutant General 

symbol 

“Labor Omnia Vincit” 

References : 

Blachly and Oatman, Government of Oklahoma, 
Chs. 3 and 4, pp. 74-162 

Buchanan and Dale, History of Oklahoma, Ch. 16, 
pp. 291-311 

Harlow, Oklahoma, pp. 312-372 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, (Dale Sup¬ 
plement) pp. 22-27 

THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT 

The people directly and through their elected leg¬ 
islators make the laws. But sometimes the real mean¬ 
ing and application of these laws have to be explained 
and decided by some phase of the Judicial Depart¬ 
ment. Court cases arise between individuals, and the 
controversy has to be settled by juries or judges. Also, 
when individuals are charged with an offense, the guilt 
and the penalty must be regularly determined by the 
courts. 

We have studied about the Federal court system, 
now we shall study about the State court system. 

Municipal Courts. Each incorporated town or city 
has its own local laws, called ordinances. To enforce 
them there are marshals, or police, and city courts. 
These are sometimes called Police Courts. Often the 
police aid in catching criminals whose offenses are 
against the state or nation. Otherwise they are tried 
in the municipal courts. More about these will be 
found when you are studying about the city. Broad¬ 
cast of Police Court proceedings may be heard over 
the radio. 

Justice Courts. The Commissioners of each county 
create districts for justices of the peace and for con¬ 
stables. The former hold justice court for that dis¬ 
trict; the latter are the peace officers. Both are elected 
by the people of that district. The less serious crim¬ 
inal cases and certain civil cases are tried in the jus¬ 
tice court. If either side demands a jury trial, a jury 
of six members is chosen, five of whom may render a 
verdict. Cases may be appealed from the decision of 
the justice court. Justices of the Peace also have the 
power to perform marriage ceremonies. 

County Courts. Each county has a judge, elected 
on even numbered years, to serve for a two-year term. 
His salary depends upon the population of the county. 
Just as justices’ cases must be limited to that district, 
so the county court is limited to cases arising in that 


county. More serious cases than can be tried in justice 
court may originate in county court, but the still more 
serious ones are reserved for higher courts. The de¬ 
cision may be appealed to the court of appeals in 
criminal cases or to the supreme court in civil cases. 
The County Judge has charge of the wills of deceased 
persons. These are what are called probate cases. 

The County Judge is in charge of juvenile cases, 
those in which the offender is too young to be tried in 
the other courts. Young persons convicted in his court 
are sentenced to one of the state training schools for 
delinquent children. The one for white boys is at Pauls 
Valley; the one for white girls, at Tecumseh; for Negro 
boys, at Boley; and, for Negro girls, at Taft. The 
County Judge has the right to order some offending 
juveniles to report to him from time to time to assure 
him that they are trying to obey the law and to do 
right. Some of these milder cases he keeps from hav¬ 
ing to be sent to the training schools. 

District Courts. Oklahoma is divided into 23 dis¬ 
tricts for court purposes. One or more judges are 
elected by the people of that district. Court is held in 
each county seat at certain sessions long enough to 
care for the business. In less populous districts one 
judge serves more than one county; in others it takes 
more than one judge for one county. Oklahoma City is 
in district No. 13, which has six judges. Five of these 
hold court in the County Court House in Oklahoma City. 
There are now 43 district judges. They are elected for 
four years. (See New Annual Directory of Oklahoma 
for list of judges and maps of districts. It may be ob¬ 
tained free from the state election board at the Capitol 
Building.) 

The more serious civil and criminal cases are tried 
in the State district court, where the jury consists of 
twelve members. Most of the more important cases are 
tried and settled in district court, some being appealed 
and settled in higher courts. Like the county court, 
the district court is held in the courthouse. 

Cases may be transferred from the district in 
which the crime was committed to another district if 
either side feels that for any reason a fair trial would 
be difficult. This is what is called a change of venue. 

District judges may call and direct the investiga¬ 
tions of grand juries. These do not convict anyone, 
nor do they settle cases. They gather evidence officially 
to determine whether conditions justify a trial. 

Superior Courts and Courts of Common Pleas. 

These have been created by the legislature from time 
to time and for certain regions to share the burden 





62 


Challenge of Democracy 


of district courts and to enable cases to be settled more 
promptly. 

Criminal Court of Appeals. The state is divided 
into three districts, each electing a judge of the Crim¬ 
inal Court of Appeals. They are elected for six years, 
their terms expiring at different times. The judge 
whose term expires next presides. They hear criminal 
cases appealed from lower courts and their decisions 
are final, unless a case of constitutionality is involved. 
Then it goes to the Supreme Court of the state. 

Supreme Court. Be sure that you do not confuse 
this court with the Federal Supreme Court. Most 
cases heard by the State Supreme Court have been ap¬ 
pealed from a lower court or from the Corporation Com¬ 
mission. Its decision is final unless a federal law is 
involved. The constitution provided for five justices. 
Since then the legislature has increased the number to 
nine. The state is divided into that number of dis¬ 
tricts and each district nominates judges. They are 
elected by the state as a whole for six years. They 
choose their own Chief Justice, according to seniority 
rules adopted by the court. No jury is used. A ma¬ 
jority of the justices must agree on a verdict, stating 
their reasons for it. These decisions become very im¬ 
portant in interpreting the law. 

The Governor may check the legislature through 
the veto, and the legislature may check the executives 
by failure to confirm appointments, failure to appro¬ 
priate funds, and by changing the law. The judiciary 
may finally check both of these branches if it decides 
that their acts are contrary to the constitution. 

Activities : 

1. Arrange with a judge of a local court to allow 
a committee from your class to visit this court. 

2. Hold mock trial, conducting it as it would be 
carried on in a real court. Try to avoid mak¬ 
ing the case merely funny. Change form of 
oath given to witnesses if necessary so that no 
person will be asked to tell “the whole truth” 
unless he is actually going to do so. 

3. Give an example of a case which would come 
before a State Supreme Court, a State District 
Court, Criminal Court of Appeals, County Court, 
Justice Court, Municipal Court, and Court of 
Common Pleas. 

4. Arrange for a member of the class to inter¬ 
view a Justice of the Peace. 

Questions: 

1. What cases come up in the justice court? 

2. Are the judges of the state courts elected or 
appointed ? 


3. What is the difference between a misdemeanor 
and a felony? 

4. What is the difference between a civil and a 
criminal case? 

5. When do we have a jury in a justice court? 
How many are on the jury? 

6. What cases come up in a probate court? What 
- judge presides over the probate court? 

7. What court has charge of juvenile cases? What 
judge presides over this court? 

8. To what correctional institutions are juvenile 
offenders sent? 

9. Explain why a change of venue might be neces¬ 
sary. 

10. Does a grand jury have the right to try a case? 


Terms we should know : 


subpoena 

parole 

bail 

verdict 

municipal 

jury 

juvenile 

suspended sentence 

court of last resort 

civil 

venue 

criminal 

probate 

acquittal 

ordinance 

complaint 

testimony 


References : 



Blachly and Oatman, Government of Oklahoma, Ch. 
5, pp. 163-195 (teacher) 

Constitution, Article 7 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics (Dale Sup¬ 
plement) Ch. 5, pp. 29-34 

COUNTY GOVERNMENT 

When Oklahoma Territory was first opened, in 
1889, there were seven counties: Payne, Logan, Okla¬ 
homa, Cleveland, Canadian, Kingfisher, and Beaver, 
the latter comprising what is now Beaver, Cimarron, 
and Texas. With each opening of new territory new 
counties were formed, until a total of 26 was reached. 
The Indian Territory was not divided into counties, 
so the Constitutional Convention took upon itself the 
work of carving the whole new state into counties, the 
lines being minutely defined. In fact, 22% of this un¬ 
usually long constitution is used to describe county 
boundaries. Lines were established in some cases to 
benefit certain towns. 

A total of 75 counties was established in the con¬ 
stitution, and two new ones have been created since. 
Each has a capital, known as the County Seat. There 
is built the courthouse which contains the offices of 
all county officials. The county jail is part of it or 








You and Your State 


63 


close to it. These numerous small counties, each with 
its courthouse and numerous officials and deputies, 
were needed when roads were poor and automobiles 
few. Today we could get along just as well with 
fewer counties. Much of the cost of government is 
due to needless expense of the county. County lines 
are rather hard to change, under the law, and no town 
wants to give up its county seat. For that reason it 
may be a long, hard struggle to reorganize our county 
system. 

The constitution created the following county 
offices: Judge, Attorney, Court Clerk, County Clerk, 
Sheriff, Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Surveyor, Su¬ 
perintendent of Public Instruction, and three County 
Commissioners, all elected by popular vote. Since then 
the legislature has discontinued the office of Register 
of Deeds and added those of Assessor and Weigher, 
also elected. When Oklahoma government is well re¬ 
organized some of these offices will probably be made 
appointive. 

The County Judge has already been discussed in 
connection with the judicial system of the state. The 
Attorney represents the public in criminal cases tried 
in the county. The Sheriff is the peace officer for the 
county. These officials have sufficient deputies, whom 
they appoint, to handle the work of their county. The 
Sheriff has charge of the county jail. 

Each Sheriff is limited to the boundary lines of 
his own county. This makes it easier for criminals to 
escape. Also, men who are elected by popular vote 
sometimes find it hard to enforce the law on acquain¬ 
tances and friends who elected them. To remedy these 
weaknesses a State Police system is in use in some 
states and has been proposed for Oklahoma. Friends 
of this system believe that it would cost less than our 
present plan and would more effectively enforce the 
laws. 

The County Commissioners are the business man¬ 
agers of the county. There are three districts, each 
electing a Commissioner. These have charge of buying 
for the county, allowing bills and claims of the various 
officials, looking after the poor who are on public ex¬ 
pense, and directing the building of county roads and 
bridges. 

The County Clerk keeps county records and now 
does the work formerly done by the Register of Deeds. 
He is the secretary for the Commissioners. The Court 
Clerk keeps the records of the county and district 
courts. His office issues marriage licenses. The Asses¬ 
sor lists for taxation the taxable property in the coun¬ 
ty. 


The Treasurer collects the taxes and is in charge 
of county money. Naturally he is under heavy bond. 
Formerly the Surveyor was a busy man, but most lines 
are now officially settled. The Weigher is in charge of 
weights and measures in his county. Why should these 
offices, which demand expert service, be filled by popu¬ 
lar election? 

The County Superintendent is in charge of the 
schools of the county, but under our system, has little 
to do with schools in cities and larger towns. More 
will be said of his work in connection with the sections 
on schools. 

County officials are elected for two years. Most of 
them take office in January following their election in 
November. Who now holds these offices? 

Activities : 

1. Make a trip to the county courthouse. See im¬ 
portant offices. 

2. Debate the following subject: Resolved, that 
county government should be abolished. 

3. Present to your class an argument in favor 
of a county-manager form of government in 
preference to the three county commissioners 
plan. 

4. Make a collection of blanks used by the county, 
such as deeds, marriage licenses, subpoena, 
mortgage, warrant, etc. 

Questions : 

1. How many counties are there in your state? 

2. How many counties were there in 1889? 

3. When was your county organized? 

4. What is the origin of its name? 

5. Who is the chief officer of the county? 

6. What two buildings are in every county? 

7. Name offices of the county that should be filled 
by appointment, rather than by election. 

8. What is the length of term of county officers? 

Terms ive should know: 

deputy sheriff 
state police 
surveyor 
assessor 

References : 

Gould, C. N., Oklahoma Place Names 
Harlow, Oklahoma, pp. 409-430 (Constitution) 
Hughes, Civic Training, pp. 289-294 
Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, pp. 36-40 
State Constitution, Article 17 


coroner 
court clerk 
county clerk 










64 


Challenge of Democracy 


TOWNSHIPS 

There are two kinds of townships, Congressional 
and Municipal. The former is not in any way connected 
with government, but is a means of locating land. A 
Congressional township is six miles square, divided 
into 36 sections, each sub-divided into quarters. Sec¬ 
tions are numbered back and forth, starting with the 
northeast as Section 1, and ending with the southeast 
as Section 36. The quarters of each section are north¬ 
east, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Townships 
of Oklahoma are numbered east and west from the 
Indian Meridian and north and south from a Base Line 
in the southern part of the state. The State Capitol 
is in the northeast and northwest quarters of Section 
27, Township 12 North, Range 3 West. Notice the oil 
page of the daily papers for drilling locations. They 
are all located by quarter, section, township (meaning 
how far north or south of base line), and range (that 
is, how far east or west of the Indian Meridian). Note 
in the constitution how these terms are used to bound 
the counties. 

The Municipal Township was in early days an im¬ 
portant part of government in Oklahoma. Then a 
Justice of the Peace and a Constable had charge of 
certain phases of law enforcement within the town¬ 
ship, a Trustee was an important local official, and 
four Road Overseers directed most of the road work 
that was done then. Since 1913, by legislative enact¬ 
ment, most of township government has gradually 
been abolished, being transferred to the County. These 
townships still retain their names and are often used 
to designate voting regions, but have little governmen¬ 
tal significance any more. 

TOWNS 

The Federal Census Bureau counts all places with 
fewer than 2,500 population as rural territory. Accord¬ 
ing to that classification all of Oklahoma County ex¬ 
cept that in Oklahoma City and Edmond is rural. 

The state laws, however, count smaller places as 
“cities” or “towns.” Those places with fewer than 2,- 
000 population may incorporate, by petitioning the 
County Commissioners, according to legally prescribed 
process. If granted the corporate standing, the town 
organizes its government. In 1930 more than 50 in¬ 
corporated towns of the state were under 2,000, some 
of them having decreased in population since the 1920 
census. Bethany is at present an incorporated town. 

Smaller places find it cheaper to surrender the 
governmental existence that they had formerly and 


exist as unincorporated places. This is now true of 
Moore, Choctaw, and Harrah. 





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6 


Plat of a “Congressional” Township. (a) is the south wesfi 
quarter of section 8. How would you describe (b), (c), and 
(d)? Each small area is a square mile. 




an 


TWP3 N 

R 2E 




'g 

s 





B 

ASE 

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WP IS 

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Indi 









TWP3S 

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Plat showing location of townships. Each division is a town¬ 
ship. six miles squares Note that the one marked at the top 
is read “Township 3 North, Range 2 East.” How are the 
others read. 










































































































You and Your State 


65 


CITIES 

Oklahoma towns with 2,000 population or more 
may organize as “cities of the first class.” Some of 
them get special charters from the state to form 
city governments along lines that each place desires. 
Most of them have the form of city government planned 
by legislative action. Each town or city is responsible 
for the peace, health, and safety of people and prop¬ 
erty within its boundaries, subject to the laws of the 
state. Each taxes property for support. Most of them 
have their own water and fire department, but com¬ 
bine with rural territory around to form school dis¬ 
tricts. 

Most towns have mayors, councilmen, clerks and 
treasurers, judges, and marshals or police. The form 
of government varies somewhat, depending upon the 
size of the place. Unit Three will continue the study 
of Municipal Government by discussing more fully the 
government of Oklahoma City, a city of the first class 
with charter government. 

EDUCATION 

Oklahoma spends large sums of money in three 
lines of improvement and control of her people. A 
large number, including all children and youth and 
some adults, need training. Others, including both 
children and adults, are for some reason in need of 
special care of the state. A third class, the criminally 
inclined, need to be separated from the rest of man¬ 
kind. These three state services, Education, Care of 
Unfortunates, and Control of Criminals, are claiming 
an ever-increasing degree of public attention and public 
expense. 

Why should a great state be interested in the 
schooling of its citizens? (1) To make of them better 
citizens, more intelligent voters. (2) To enable them to 
be self-supporting and, if possible, to be able and will¬ 
ing to help others. (3) To help them to learn how to 
preserve and improve health, both private and public. 
(4) To teach them to conserve and appreciate the beauty 
and resources of their country. (5) To enable them to 
enjoy life more abundantly. 

The home works to these same ends. The churches 
have some of the same goals. But the state must de¬ 
pend upon the schools to realize these aims,—free 
schools, supported by the public for its own good. 

The public means your own father and mother and 
neighbors, all of whom are paying taxes to give you 
this opportunity to get an education. And it is not be¬ 
ing done in order that you may become a millionaire, 
or a white-collar man, or a political grafter, but for the 


five reasons just given. (Be able to give those reasons 
from memory.) In few other places in the world can 
a pupil attend good schools till he is of age, or even 
longer, without paying tuition. In fact Oklahoma, like 
other states, believes in such education so much that 
some attendance is required. 

School Districts. Oklahoma has the district sys¬ 
tem. When roads were poor and transportation had 
not developed, the districts were necessarily small. 
They were usually about three miles square with one 
small school and one teacher who taught all grades. 
This small type of school still exists in many districts 
today. For several years there has been a movement 
to unite these small districts into larger ones, often 
transporting the pupils in busses. Better schools are 
had and often the expense per pupil is less. Until re¬ 
cently each district has paid almost all of the expenses 
of its schools. Now the state shares heavily in the 
expense. This makes it possible for poorer regions to 
have better schools. The whole state profits. 

Each county has a Superintendent of Schools, 
politically elected. He supervises the schools of his 
county, helping them to do better work. Larger schools, 
those in cities, especially, have their own superintendents. 
For several years there has been much talk of organiz¬ 
ing along the line of the “County Unit.” This plan 
would do away with some of the weaknesses of the 
small districts. 

High Schools. For twenty years Oklahoma has 
made it possible for every boy and girl to get a high 
school education. This is accomplished by what is 
known as the Transfer Law. If a district does' not 
offer accredited high school work of the grade needed, 
a pupil may attend a district that does. His tuition 
at that school is paid by his home district. In recent 
years the state has shared heavily in paying this 
tuition. 

State Superintendent. The State Superintendent 
and the State Board of Education are at the head of 
the state school system. They decide who may teach 
and give them certificates. They decide upon courses 
of study and standards of promotion. They improve 
the conditions of schoolhouses, making them safer, 
more efficient, and more attractive. They help to ap¬ 
portion money appropriated by the legislature to help 
weaker districts have longer and better schools. 

Oklahoma has state-wide adoption of textbooks. 
Not all states do any more. The Governor appoints a 
Text Book Commission, which works with the State 
Superintendent in choosing the texts that are to be 








66 


Challenge of Democracy 


used over the, state for a specified term of years. At 
one time our state had free textbooks, as do some 
states, but has abandoned the plan, except for relief 
purposes. 

School Land. When Oklahoma was opened as a 
territory, certain sections of each township were set 
aside as School Land. These sections varied with 
the different openings. The earnings of this land 
were to support the public schools. Indian Territory 
had no such land, so when we were admitted as a 
state, Congress appropriated five million dollars to 
add to this Common School Fund. By June, 1934, this 
fund amounted to more than thirty-seven million dol¬ 
lars, including unsold lands. During that school year 
$1.53 was distributed to each enumerated person, that 
is, those between six and twenty-one years of age. 

Higher Education. Including private and denomi¬ 
national schools and municipal junior colleges, Okla¬ 
homa now has about fifty institutions where some kind 
of college work may be had. Nine of these are con¬ 
trolled by churches, supported by tuition, donations, 
and endowment. These are: Oklahoma City University, 
University of Tulsa, Oklahoma Baptist University 
(Shawnee), St. Gregory’s College (Shawnee), Phillips 
University (Enid), Bethany-Peniel College (Bethany), 
Oklahoma Presbyterian College for Girls (Durant), 
Catholic College for Young Women (Guthrie), and 
Bacone College, near Muskogee. Not all of these col¬ 
leges grant degrees. 

The State supports eighteen colleges from some 
of the school land, small fees and dues, tuition from 
outrof-state students, and appropriation of the legis¬ 
lature. The latter item is far bigger than all the 
others. The most important of these are: 

The University of Oklahoma, Norman 
Agricultural and Mechanical College, Stillwater 
College for Women, Chickasha 
Central State Teachers College, Edmond 
Northeastern State Teachers College, Tahlequah 
Northwestern State Teachers College, Alva 
Southeastern State Teachers College, Durant 
East Central Teachers College, Ada 
Southwestern State Teachers College, Weatherford 
Oklahoma Military Academy, Claremore 
Colored University, Langston 

Activities : 

1. Draw on the blackboard an outline map of Ok¬ 
lahoma; place a square or circle for each state 
educational institution. 

2. Make a talk about one of the state schools. 


Questions : 

1. How many colleges in our state are supported 
by churches? 

2. How many colleges in our state are supported 
by the state? 

3. What are four sources of revenue for schools 
in our state? 

4. Which school receives the second largest ap¬ 
propriation from the state? 


Terms we should know : 
parochial 
denomination 
matriculation 
endowment 
common school fund 
county units 

References : 

Hughes, Elementary Community Civics, pp. 49-57 
Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Pub¬ 
lic Instruction (This may be obtained from the 
office of the State Superintendent.) 

Oklahoma Constitution, Articles 11 to 13 


tuition 

junior college 
sectarian 
accredited 
transfer law 


CARE OF THE HANDICAPPED 

How to care for those who, for any reason, are 
not sufficiently self-supporting to insure health and 
reasonable comfort has been a problem of Oklahoma 
from the beginning of statehood. In recent years 
it has increased greatly, as it has all over the nation 
and in many other countries. 

Two types of pupils can not well be educated in 
the public schools. These are the blind and the deaf 
mutes. Article XXI of the constitution requires that 
the state provide special education for them. 

The blind children from six to twenty-one are 
schooled, chiefly at state expense, in the Oklahoma 
School for the Blind, near Muskogee. The school 
provides room, board, medical care, laundry and in¬ 
struction. The parents furnish transportation to and 
from the school, pay incidental expenses, supply cloth¬ 
ing and provide for the children in their own homes 
during the summer months. The cost to the state for 
maintaining each child in the Muskogee Institution 
in 1937 was $540.00. During that year 146 children 
were enrolled. In addition to the State’s adopted 
course of study from the Pre-primary through High 
School, special emphasis is given to music, homemak¬ 
ing, broommaking, dairying, poultry raising, piano 
tuning, and other ways of helping to earn a living and 
to enjoy life. 

The Oklahoma School for the Deaf is at Sulphur. 






You and Your State 


67 


In 1936 the enrollment was 442. Many of these boys 
and girls are greatly helped to overcome their handi¬ 
cap. Vocational training is stressed, including such 
phases as carpentry and cabinet making, printing, 
shoe and harness making, tailoring, homemaking, and 
baking. In 1935 and 1936, 300 were enrolled in these 
vocational courses. Oklahoma School law requires 
that all deaf-mute children be given schooling suited 
to their needs. The Sulphur school probably could 
not care for all these if the law were fully observed. 

The colored blind and deaf are schooled in the 
State Orphan’s Home at Taft. This one institution 
cares for four types of unfortunates among the Ne¬ 
gro children. 

At Enid is located the Northern Oklahoma Hos¬ 
pital which cares for the Feeble-minded. Proper 
care and protection and such development and train¬ 
ing as is possible are planned for children of such 
mental level that they cannot attend the public school. 
The report from that institution dated November 1, 
1937, contained the information that 1,016 patients 
were being cared for there. The monthly cost per 
patient during 1937 was $16.88. 

At Norman, Vinita, Supply, and Taft are State 
Hospitals for the Insane. More and more of those 
with mental diseases are given the kind of treatment 
and care that may improve their condition. A century 
ago states did not consider it their duty to provide 
special care for these unfortunates, and only rather 
recently have effective treatment and training been 
provided. 

Two Tuberculosis Sanatoria are supported by the 
state. One is at Clinton and the other is at Talihina. 
The Crippled Children’s Hospital, at Oklahoma City, 
provides schooling suited to the needs of the children 
of the state who are receiving treatment there. In 
recent years much splendid work has been done for 
crippled children and others with curable and remedial 
afflictions throughout the state. 

Oklahoma provides for the education of orphan 
children. The two State Homes are West Oklahoma 
Home for White Children at Helena, and the Whit¬ 
aker State Orphans Home at Pryor. White children 
from infancy to 16 years of age are cared for in these 
homes. In the home at Pryor, 395 children received 
care in 1937 at a yearly cost of $346.07 per child. 
The home for colored orphans is located at Taft. 

In March, 1935 the State Legislature established 
the Board of Public Welfare which provides care for 
the unemployed, destitute people. 

The Oklahoma Social Security Act was passed 
by way of an Initiative Petition in July, 1936. The 


purpose of this measure is to administer old age as¬ 
sistance to needy persons. The applicant must be 65 
years of age or older. The payment to be made to 
aged persons cannot exceed $30.00 per month and is 
based upon the need of the Individual. Another phase 
of this act is to assist blind persons who are residents 
of the state and who meet certain established quali¬ 
fications. These payments, based upon need of the 
applicant, may not exceed $30.00 per month. The third 
provision of this act gives aid to dependent children 
under sixteen years of age. 

These payments cannot exceed $18.00 for the first 
child and $12.00 for each additional child. Crippled 
children in need of hospitalization may receive help 
under the Oklahoma Social Security Act. On March 
1, 1938, there were 68,446 persons receiving Old Age 
payments. 34,084 children were granted aid and 2,070 
blind persons were helped. The funds providing care for 
the Aged, Dependent Children, Blind and Crippled 
Children are derived from the 2 per cent sales tax, to¬ 
gether with certain funds received from the Federal 
Government on a grant-in-aid basis. The tax sales in 
Oklahoma amount to about $900,000.00 a month. 
(March, 1938.) Oklahoma provides one-half of the 
funds that are required for Old Age Assistance. The 
Federal government supplies the other half. Two- 
thirds of the money paid to Dependent Children comes 
from the State and one-third is granted by the Federal 
Government. Payments from State Funds made to 
blind persons are matched evenly by Federal Funds. 

Each county is required by law to provide for 
indigents (paupers) who are legal residents. In addi¬ 
tion, the larger communities such as Oklahoma City, 
and Tulsa, have special agencies to care for needy 
people who do not come within the jurisdiction of 
the State and county organizations. In Oklahoma 
City such agencies are the Children’s Joint Case Com¬ 
mittee, United Provident Association, American Red 
Cross, and others. 

Activities : 

1. Bring a Braille book to school. 

♦ 

2. Name a prominent Oklahoman who is blind, 
yet has gained national recognition. 

3. Read the story of Helen Keller and tell some 
interesting incidents in her life. 

4. Write a letter to your teacher, telling of 
some habit you are trying to overcome so that 
it will not become a handicap in later life. 

5. Invite a representative from one of your local 
welfare agencies to talk to you abou- the 
work of her organization. 

6. Locate schools for the blind and deaf. 







68 


Challenge of Democracy 


7. What man prominent in national affairs has 
to a great extent overcome a serious physical 
handicap? 

8. What are the advantages of having a tubercu¬ 
lar patient sent to a hospital? 

9. For what handicapped people do we have an 
institution at Helena? 

10. Name institutions for three types of unfortu¬ 
nates at Taft, Oklahoma. 


Terms we should know. 
Handicapped 
feeble-minded 
dumb 
orphanage 
vocational 
Public Agency 
illiterate 
orphan 
deaf mute 


idiot 

curable 

Private Agency . 
moron 
imbecile 
stupid 

social service exchange 

remediable 

indigent 


References : 

Dunn, Arthur, Community Civics, pp. 401-420 
Hughes, Elementary Community Civics (Dale Sup¬ 
plement), pp. 57-59 
Hughes, Civic Training, pp. 96-98 
Oklahoma Constitution, Article 21 
Annual Report of State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction 


CARE OF CRIMINALS 

The state and its subdivisions, such as counties 
and towns, must provide prisons. Those who can not 
safely be allowed freedom need to be separated from 
other people for the good of both. In addition to 
city and county jails, where prisoners are confined 
for shorter times, there are State Training Schools 
and prisons. 

White boys and girls are sentenced to the Train¬ 
ing Schools at Pauls Valley and Tecumseh; the Ne¬ 
gro boys are sent to Boley, and Negro girls to Taft. 
They are taught to work and are given further school¬ 
ing. The purpose of these institutions is* mainly to 
reform these youths before they become confirmed 
criminals. 

Men and women who are sentenced for the graver 
offenses are kept at Granite and McAlester. While 
their labor helps in a small way to bear their expense, 
the cost of convicting and caring for sentenced crim¬ 
inals is a large item of state expense. 

The United States Southwestern Reformatory, es¬ 
tablished in 1933, is located at El Reno, Oklahoma. 
It provides care for male criminals from sixteen to 


fifty years of age who give evidence that with proper 
environment and care they may overcome their dif¬ 
ficulties. 

STATE REVENUE 

When studying Federal finances we discussed 
taxation. The same principles are as true for the 
State as are true for the Nation. 

Taxes are very necessary. We must expect to 
have government taxes if we expect any services to be 
rendered. Everyone pays taxes, either directly or in¬ 
directly. We do not expect to get something for noth¬ 
ing. But we do want taxation to be just and fair and 
we do expect to get worthwhile service for the amount 
of money paid in taxes. We must not expect to de¬ 
mand more services from the government all the time 
and at the same time ask for a lowering of taxes or 
cost of operation. 

In the early days of our government, taxes were 
low because it was not necessary nor desirable for 
the organized government to render many services. 
It only looked after big general problems that were 
for the good of the whole—as post office services, for¬ 
eign trade, and one National Road. But as our coun¬ 
try became more thickly populated, people lived closer 
together, towns grew larger, industries flourished, and 
individuals were more interdependent; then it be¬ 
came necessary for the government to control more 
relationships and render more services all the time. 
Because the people asked for it, the government be¬ 
gan such services as public education, police protec¬ 
tion, health control, and providing parks and recrea¬ 
tional opportunities. 

As the public demands more and more services, 
it should expect to pay more and more into the gov¬ 
ernment funds for operating expenses and control of 
the added activities. If the government is to add to 
its work such services as providing hospital care for 
all crippled children, seeing that the needy aged are 
cared for, and providing opportunities and training 
for young boys in C. C. C. camps, certainly those have 
to be paid for; and they are quite expensive since 
their scope is the entire nation. Do the people want 
these services? Are they willing to pay more taxes 
to support such services when rendered? 

Economy in government and lowest possible effi¬ 
cient taxation should be attained if possible, but it 
should be done by ending waste and graft and intro¬ 
ducing good business methods in government affairs, 
not by whacking off sums from the proposed budget 
that are necessary and desirable. 




You and Your State 


69 


We should always be striving for fairer forms of 
taxation. The principle of the income and inherit¬ 
ance taxes is fair in that those most able to pay, pay 
much more. The sales tax is fair in that everyone 
helps to pay according to his ability or his expendi¬ 
tures. Everyone receives benefits and services from 
the government, and each should be willing to con¬ 
tribute his part; but we should insist that our money 
be honestly spent. 

Our state, like the Federal government, is deeply 
in debt. Strict economy of operation and greater care 
in the spending of public money must be demanded 
if the state is ever to throw off its burden of debt. 
A nation, state, or a city, like an individual, must bal¬ 
ance its accounts if its credit is to be maintained. 

Where the State gets its Money. Until recently a 
property tax levied on real estate and personal prop¬ 
erty was one of the main sources of state income. In 
September 1935, by initiative elections, the people 
adopted an amendment to the state constitution for 
the exemption of homesteads from taxation. That 
law provides that $1,000 may be deducted from the 
assessed valuation of any homestead when the owner 
sw T ears before county officials each year that he uses 
it as a place to live (a home) and not as a commercial 
enterprise from which to make money. This greatly 
reduced the property tax as a source of revenue for 
the state government. So, after levying several more 
special taxes, the state government decided to leave 
property tax to municipal and local governments. 

In 1937-38 these are the most important sources 
of State revenue. 

1. The Gasoline Tax is levied to provide for high¬ 
ways. In emergencies a part of it is used for 
other purposes. 

2. Minerals, including oil and gas, are taxed in pro¬ 
portion to the “gross production." When pro¬ 
duction and prices are good in the mining regions 
this tax source amounts to a good deal. 

3. In recent years the sales tax has been used. Two 
cents per dollar is paid to the merchant by the 
purchaser, who turns the amount collected to the 
state. 

4. Both the federal and the state government levy 
taxes on incomes. Each taxpayer is allowed an 
exemption for dependent members of his family. 
The rate increases in proportion to the size of 
the income. This is in keeping with the ability 
to pay. 

5. Oklahoma taxes annually the owners of automo¬ 
biles and trucks in several different ways. Those 


purchasing new cars must pay a special Motor 
Vehicle Excise Tax in addition to the regular 
sales tax. For every motor vehicle the owner 
must purchase a license annually. Those used 
as motor carriers (commercial buses and trucks) 
must pay a mileage tax for their constant use of 
the highways. 

6. There are special taxes on cigarettes, beverages, 
etc. These are often thought of as luxuries and 
are taxed more heavily than necessities of life. 

7. The inheritance tax enables the state to receive 
a portion of money willed by deceased property 
holders. This, like the income tax, is “graduated," 
that is, the rate increases with the amount. 

8. Licenses are paid for certain privileges or serv¬ 
ices. Besides the automobile license, the state 
collects corporation licenses, game and fish li¬ 
censes, beverage licenses, cigarette licenses, used 
equipment licenses, drivers licenses, and others. 
Figures show that only three-fourths of the state’s 

revenue comes from state taxes, fees, and licenses. 
Federal aid added about 17% to the funds in 1936-1937. 
There are a few other small sources of income. 
(Study the chart on page 70.) 

The receipts from these various taxes, and others 
not listed, are distributed by law to the different units 
of government. The constitution and acts of the leg¬ 
islature prescribe the maximum that each unit of gov¬ 
ernment may levy. 

The chart shows that the state government re¬ 
turned to local governments for their use about 40% 
of funds it collected in the year of 1936-1937. 

City councils, county commissioners, and school 
boards determine the needs year by year and determine 
how much property tax is needed, together with other 
receipts listed above, to cover the budget expenses. Each 
county has an Excise Board to review and pass on these 
levies. The State Tax Commission in recent years has 
played an important part in our public financial program. 

Activities : 

1. Find a tax problem in your arithmetic book 
and solve it. (Both income and property tax.) 

2. Ask your father to let you help figure his taxes 
and go with him when he pays them. 

3. Make a picture chart showing the different 
services tax money is spent for. Paste on it 
picture illustrations of health, parks, libraries, 
schools, street repair, etc. 

4. Ask adult neighbors why so many people dis¬ 
like to pay taxes. List the reasons given. 





70 


Challenge of Democracy 


5. Secure clippings from your daily paper about 
taxes or cost of government. 

Questions: 

1. What kinds of property are exempt from tax¬ 
ation? Why? 

2. What different kinds of taxes do the citizens 
of your state and locality pay? 

3. Why should the legislative body vote appro¬ 
priations of public money? 

4. What advantages are there in having roads 
and schools built by taxation? 

5. Explain the work of an assessor. 

6. Where and when must we pay our local taxes? 


Terms to know. 

Excise 

Appropriations 
Budget system 
“Balancing the budget” 
License 
Fee 


Direct Tax 
Indirect tax 
Delinquent tax 
Ad valorem 
Assessor 
Tax rate 


Gasoline Tax_25.37% 

Gross Production Tax _23.29% 

Income Tax_12.21% 

Sales Tax_18.15% 

79.02%. 

S 

of State taxes from 4 sources 

Motor Vehicle License _8.01% 

Cigarette License and Tax_3.70% 

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax_2.17% 

Motor Carrier Tax_2.04% 

94.94% 

of State taxes from 8 sources 

Miscellaneous (16 others) _5.-)-% 


References : 

Edmonson and Dondineau; Citizenship Through 
Problems, 102-116. 

Faith and Edgerton: Our Civic Life, 281-326. 
Manley: The Pursuit of Happiness, 219-228. 
Hughes: Elementary Community Civics, 469-485. 
Hughes: Civic Training, 306-322. 


MAIN SOURCES OF STATE REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE 
OKLAHOMA TAX COMMISSION IN THE FISCAL YEAR 
ENDING JUNE 30, 1937. 



EXPENDITURES OF STATE GOVERNMENT IN 
OKLAHOMA CLASSIFIED BY PURPOSE OF EXPENDITURES 
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1937 

(by Research Dept.—Okla. Tax Commission) 



* "all other state expenditures” includes hospitals . penal ano eleemosynary 

INSTITUTIONS , LEGISLATIVE , JUDICIAL . AND OTHER EXPENDITURES. 












































UNIT III—YOU AND YOUR CITY 


(6 

OKLAHOMA CITY’S EARLY HISTORY 

On Monday morning, April 22, 1889, the stretch of 
prairie which lay in the bend of the North Canadian 
River along the Santa Fe Railroad was both beautiful 
and peaceful. “The land had been burned clear, and the 
soft new grass of spring, sprinkled with multitudinous 
wild flowers, made the view a peaceful and charming 

one.By evening the grass and flowers were crushed 

beneath the feet of thousands of hurrying and excited 
men, and the deeper scars of horses’ hoofs and wheels 
of innumerable vehicles. In six hours the natural beauty 
of the scene was completely obliterated beyond recogni¬ 
tion or hope of repair. For Oklahoma City was born 
that day.”* 

Before going on with the story of the early days of 
our city, it is well to review some of the history of the 
site of this interesting western metropolis. It was 
inhabited by the Indians many generations before the 
coming of white men to America. Coronado and his 
Spanish soldiers probably crossed this region in their 
search for wealth. Later the French explored this ter¬ 
ritory as they established trade with the Indians. In 
1803 the land on which the city was to be built came un¬ 
der the Stars and Stripes as a part of the Louisiana Pur¬ 
chase. In 1832 Washington Irving probably camped 
where Oklahoma City now stands, as he made his “Tour 
on the Prairies.” As white men crowded into the eastern 
states the Indians were crowded out and in time con¬ 
centrated as a conquered race in Indian Territory and 
Oklahoma Territory. 

The United States government made treaties with 
one tribe after another and by 1889 had arranged to 
open to white settlement what was to be called “Old Ok¬ 
lahoma,” including the present counties of Beaver, Cana¬ 
dian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne. 
Early in March of that year the bill passed Congress 
which authorized the opening. On March 23rd, Presi¬ 
dent Harrison proclaimed that at noon, April 22nd, this 
land would be opened to settlement of white men. 

Until that day United States soldiers carefully 
guarded the borders of the new country in an effort to 
prevent any eager home-seekers from slipping through 
and getting an advantage over the others. That fore- 

*Quoted from Kerr and Gainer. Oklahoma Oily, (lfl-!2). The 
i early chapters, written by Dr. A. C. Scott, provide much of the 
facts and color of this account. It is most interesting reading and 
gives the memories of one of the most active and influential of the 

pioneer citizens of Oklahoma City. 


weeks) 

noon men competed for good places along the border lines, 
ready to start when the gun was fired at twelve o’clock. 
Most rode horses, some drove buggies or wagons, while 
thousands rode the trains. The plan was to race for 
homes. The first to reach a quarter-section and drive 
his stake upon it was to have the right to “file” on that 
farm and get a legal title to it later. In case two or more 
“staked” the same farm, contests arose, and the one who 
could prove that he drove his stake first was awarded 
the farm. 

The Great Run. Wherever it had agreed that a 
town was to be established that area was not open to 
farm settlement, but was to be laid off in lots. The 
racers rushed to these areas to stake lots for homes, 
places of business, or speculation. The Santa Fe had 
built a station on the site that was to be Oklahoma 
City and it was understood that a city was to be es¬ 
tablished there. This news attracted many who wanted 
to settle in town and who chose Oklahoma City. Some 
of these lined up along the South Canadian, about 
twelve miles southwest, while others gathered at other 
points along the line. These began to arrive about 12:40, 
and those with slower horses or from more distant points 
soon followed. Others, who had slipped through the 
guarded lines and were in hiding within the new region, 
started just in time to be the first to arrive, and were 
called “Sooners.” This advantage had been taken by 
some all over the new territory, and in time “Sooners” 
came to be applied to all Oklahomans. 

Shortly after the arrival of the overland army of 
homeseekers, there came train after train over the Santa 
Fe, some from the line at Purcell and others from the line 
to the north. The coaches were “filled to suffocation and 
the roof of every car was packed with men.” They 
rushed from the trains with axe and stakes and began 
driving them where there seemed to be choice locations 
and few others “staking.” Some would keep moving to 
more attractive or less crowded sites. 

“It seemed as though some thousands of human be¬ 
ings had gone mad.” It was a long, exciting, strenuous 
afternoon of driving stakes and pitching tents. 

About seven o’clock that evening hunger got the bet¬ 
ter of some, who began to prepare supper. The example 
soon spread and, in a short time, most of the busy throng 
were engaged in cooking and eating, the fragrance of 
coffee and bacon spreading rapidly over the city of tents 
and camp fires that had so suddenly appeared where at 


( 71 ) 







72 


Challenge of Democracy 


noon had been the field of grass and flowers. 

Darkness brought a splendid sight. Hundreds of 
tents, with camp fires and lanterns, presented a wonder¬ 
ful close to the end of a wonderful day. Not a cloud had 
marred the sky throughout that eventful Monday, and 
the tired throng enjoyed the rest that fatigue and fresh 
air could bring. 

Early the next day activity was renewed. Some be¬ 
gan to build shacks with lumber shipped ahead and wait¬ 
ing on the Santa Fe tracks. Some had even built the 
parts of their small, crude houses and were ready to as¬ 
semble them in short time. The struggle for “lots” was 
sharply renewed, when it gradually dawned on the multi¬ 
tude that there were no “lots,” for the town site had not 
been surveyed. A settler could not be sure that all of 
the land he was claiming might not be in a street when 
the site was platted. 

First Election. As the confusion and uncertainty 
spread and the difficulty was better realized, it was 
agreed to call a mass meeting. A half-dozen boys with 
ponies were sent through the crowd ringing bells and 
crying out that at a specified place at two o’clock there 
would be a mass meeting. Everybody came. There 
were no seats nor platform. Acres of men stood. The 
meeting lasted three hours, the chairman and secretary 
standing on tall boxes so that they would make their 
voices heard and could hear the voices from the crowd. 

It was decided to elect a committee to make plans 
for surveying and laying out the town. Candidates were 
hoisted to the top of a tall box to be viewed and sized up 
by the crowd. Some were cheered and others booed, and 
the people made up their minds in a few minutes how they 
would vote on strangers. It was decided that no two 
committeemen should be from the same state. At the 
close of the meeting fourteen men from fourteen states 
had been elected to plan the new town. 

The Survey. That Tuesday night these men 
worked by lantern in a tent till past midnight, making 
preliminary plans to open the section that is now the 
business district of Oklahoma City. They hired a 
surveyor to establish streets and alleys and the bound¬ 
aries of lots. They selected a committee of five men 
who should follow the surveying party and settle dis¬ 
putes. These five men were so crowded by the throng 
that they stood within a triangle made of three long 
boards nailed together. Men carried this little pen 
while the committee walked and stood within it, hear¬ 
ing and settling rival claims to the newly established 
lots. 

This survey had started from the quarter section 


corner near the present Santa Fe station on what is now 
Reno street. By Thursday the surveyors had reached 
what is now Grand Avenue and were proceeding north to 
Main street. But here they met a rival surveying party. 
This was the Seminole Town Company, previously organ¬ 
ized at Topeka, Kansas. It had a blueprint of its plat 
before the opening and was busy laying out lots from 
Main street north and settling men upon them. The 
committee wired to General Noble, Secretary of the In¬ 
terior, and was informed in reply that the Topeka Com¬ 
pany had no rights in the townsite. Thereupon, on Sat¬ 
urday morning the Committee continued its survey, be¬ 
ginning at the west end of Main street. But the men 
who during the week had settled upon Main street and 
north, according to the Seminole survey, saw that their 
holdings would be dislocated by a different survey and 
met the Committee with leveled Winchesters. This 
talked more eloquently than a telegram from distant 
Washington and brought the citizens’ survey to an abrupt 
halt. 

Compromise. The Committee of Fourteen called 
another mass meeting for two o’clock. A. C. Scott pre¬ 
sided over this meeting, as he had done at the first on 
Tuesday. It was agreed that the two rival parties 
should compromise. Each chose a committee of five 
and these ten men worked earnestly that afternoon on 
a plan that would suit both groups. At dusk they re¬ 
ported to a mass meeting their findings, which were 
accepted as the settlement. Then a preacher with a 
voice that boomed and carried across the sea of eager 
men, suggested that they sing “Praise God from Whom 
All Blessings Flow,” and the first week ended in a 
peace unlike that of Monday morning, yet a peace that 
meant the beginning of town building. 

This settlement consisted of the joining of the two 
surveys at Grand Avenue. It was a sort of welding proc¬ 
ess, since the two surveys did not fit into each other. The 
Seminole Town Company’s plat had been laid out with 
reference to the Santa Fe tracks, and these did not run 
exactly north and south. The Committee’s survey had 
been based upon government lines. Thus, the streets 
that came from the north did not exactly meet those that 
had been surveyed from the south. This meant a jog 
at Grand Avenue, and the jog is still there. It does not 
mean, however, that these surveys constituted two towns. 
The surveys were merged, and from Reno street north 
there was but one town. 

But another town was organized within the week. 
This was South Oklahoma, lying immediately south of 
and adjoining Oklahoma City. The dividing line was 
Reno street. Each town elected a mayor—South Okla- 




You and Your City 


73 


homa on April 27th and Oklahoma City on May 1st. A 
few months later these two towns were consolidated into 
one, under the name of Oklahoma City. 

None of these proceedings—surveys and elections— 
had any warrant of law, because there was no law. It 
was an experiment in government without law. For al¬ 
most exactly a year the young city proceeded under its 
own power. In the spring of 1890 the “Oklahoma coun¬ 
try” became Oklahoma Territory by act of Congress and 
established for itself a full system of laws. It was un¬ 
der these laws that the first legal mayor and council of 
Oklahoma City were elected. 

By this time (spring of 1890) there were three daily 
newspapers and one weekly, and practically all other 
lines of business were fully established. The consolidated 
townsite was full to overflowing, and the congested pop¬ 
ulation was ready for the beginning of the many “addi¬ 
tions” which were swiftly to follow. The growth has 
been rapid, for the half century that has passed since 
the founding of Oklahoma City has witnessed great 
change and growth. Where that “tent city” of ten 
thousand population once stood on the open prairies 
there now rises a modern city of more than 225,000 
people. 

EARLY GOVERNMENT OF OKLAHOMA 
CITY 

After the North and South groups peacefully settled 
their claims it was decided that the two towns should 
combine governments. Great praise is due those early 
settlers who had no law or rule to guide them in estab¬ 
lishing the first plans for governing their new town. The 
federal plan for opening the new country had not in¬ 
cluded legal provisions for organizing towns. It was 
thirteen months after the “run” before a city-wide plan 
of government was adopted in an election which was 
participated in by people in both town companies. 

They adopted the Mayor-Council form of govern¬ 
ment, then the most popular and common in the United 
States. This was used until 1911, though changes and 
adaptations were necessarily made from time to time. 
When Oklahoma became a State, in 1907, the city was 
chartered under the laws of the new State. 

The Mayor Council form of city government was 
generally used at that time in the United States and 
it is still used in some cities, but in 1911 a more ef¬ 
fective form called the Mayor-Commissioner plan was 


adopted. In 1927 this was abolished and the City- 
Manager plan was adopted. 

This plan has been used with success in many 
cities, and if properly used places the city government 
on a business like basis. 

Oklahoma City a Big Business. Your city is the 
biggest business with which you come in contact. 
Why should it not be run efficiently, economically, and 
effectively, just as a big automobile or other business 
is run? But many politicians and grafters do not like 
this way of running a city so they do all they can to 
weaken it. 

What difference should it make in city government 
whether a man is a Democrat or Republican if he is 
the best man for the office? Remember that political 
parties are for national rather than local business. 
Too often the fact that he belongs to one political 
party and not to another is the reason a good man is 
defeated and a poor one elected. It is difficult to secure 
honest and efficient city administration when the voters 
are not more careful about electing capable men to 
office, and controlling the grafters. 

MAP STUDY ON OKLAHOMA CITY 

You can “see” and know Oklahoma City better if 
you make good use of the map. Pick out certain loca¬ 
tions that you know, think of the direction and distance 
of other places, and gradually build your mind pic¬ 
ture of the whole city and its surroundings. 

It is suggested the places listed below be located 
along with others that you and your teacher may wish. 
Not all streets and avenues could be named on this 
map. You can supply these. 

1. Senior high schools 

2. Junior high schools 

3. Elementary schools attended by you and your 
classmates 

4. Parochial schools in which you are interested 

5. Oklahoma City University 

6. Your church, your home 

7. The Capitol Building 

8. The Federal Building and the City Library 

9. The Board of Education Building 

10. The Coliseum, the Packing Plants, and Railway 
Stations 

11. The Buildings in Civic Center 

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76 


Challenge of Democracy 


KOW OKLAHOMA CITY IS GOVERNED 

TODAY 

Under the City Manager plan, Oklahoma City 
elects nine city officials—a mayor, and two councilmen 
from each of the four wards. A councilman for each 
ward to serve four years is chosen every two years. 
The election is held in the spring of odd years. There¬ 
fore, only half of the councilmen terms expire at any 
one election. The candidates first ran on a non¬ 
partisan (no party) ticket. Each ward nominated in a 
primary election and the two candidates standing high¬ 
est were then voted upon by the city at large. The 
one then getting the more votes was elected council¬ 
man. This plan gave the voters of each ward a chance 
to indicate their first and second choices of men to 
represent them on the Council and left to the voters of 
the whole city the election of one of the two. 

On November 6, 1934, this was changed. On that 
date the voters of Oklahoma City, by their vote in the 
general election, adopted an amendment to the charter, 
which provides that councilmen shall be nominated 
and elected by wards. This change makes it easier for 
politicians to control the city government. 

The Mayor is nominated and elected by the city at 
large. Together with the eight men elected by wards, 
he is a part of the Council. He presides over it and 
votes in case of a tie. He makes such appointments 
as the charter and ordinances provide. 

The City Council is merely the legislative branch 
of government, and the laws that they enact for the 
city are called ordinances. They choose the Auditor, 
the Counselor, the Municipal Judge, and certain ad¬ 
visory boards and commissions, and, most important of 
all, they choose the City Manager. They may also 
dismiss him. 

The Executive Department. It is the duty of the 
Manager to advise the Council on municipal affairs 
and to see that the city ordinances are enforced. He 
is chosen for his ability to manage the various phases 
of the city’s business. To assist him in this important 
and difficult work, he appoints specialists to advise 
him and direct special parts of the city’s business. 
The following positions are filled by his appointment. 
See if you can find who holds these offices now. 

Police Chief, Fire Chief, City Clerk, City Treas- 
, urer, Superintendent of Parks, Oil and Gas Inspector, 
Superintendent of Buildings, Superintendent of Water 
Department, City Engineer, City Health Director. 


OUTLINE OF OKLAHOMA CITY’S GOVERNMENT 

VOTERS OF OKLAHOMA CITY elect Mayor and 
Council, who choose 

1. Municipal Judge 

2. City Attorney 

3. City Auditor 

4. Boards and Commissions 

5. CITY MANAGER who has general control of 

a. Fire Department 

b. Police Department 

c. City Engineer, who looks after 

(1) . Engineering ; , 

(2) . Streets and Alleys 

(3) . Airport 

(4) . Sewers 

(5) . Sidewalks 

(6) . Paving 

d. Parks and Playgrounds 

e. Water Department 

f. City Clerk 

g. City Treasurer 

h. Municipal Garage 

i. City Health Director, who directs 

(1) . Medical Aid 

(2) . The Clinic 

(3) . The Detention Hospital 

(4) . Public Nursing 

(5) . Vital Statistics 

(6) . City Chemist 

(7) . Garbage disposal 

(8) . Inspection of Foods, Weights and Meas¬ 

ures 

(9) . Sanitation 

j. Building Department 
(1). City Buildings 

k. Libraries 

The following is a list of the offices in our city 
government. Secure the names of ten whom you con¬ 
sider most important. Do you know any of them? 

Mayor, two Councilmen from each of the four 
wards, City Manager, Municipal Counselor, Auditor, 
Judge Municipal Court, Water Superintendent, Secre¬ 
tary Planning Commission, Filtration Engineer, Chief 
of Police, Fire Chief, Park Superintendent, Health 
Director, Superintendent of Nurses, Garbage Superin¬ 
tendent, Chemist, Clerk, Treasurer, Special Assess¬ 
ment Clerk, Librarian, Engineer, Street Superintend¬ 
ent, Sewer Superintendent, Building Superintendent, 







You and Your City 


77 


Superintendent of Oil and Gas Field Inspection, Shops 
and Garage Manager, Pound Master, Warehouse Super¬ 
intendent. 

Commissions: 

Planning Commission—9 members 
Regional Planning Board—2 members besides all 
on Planning Commission 
Board of Adjustment—5 members 
Civil Service Commission—3 members 
Park Board—5 members 
Library Board—6 members 

Examining Board Stationary Engineers—3 mem¬ 
bers 

Examining Board Journeymen Electricians — 3 
members 

Board of Censorship—3 members 
Advisory Traffic Commission—13 members 
Athletic Commission—5 members 
Humane Society—9 members 
Beauty Shop Examining Board—3 members 
Fish and Game Commission—5 members 
When you read this long list of officers to be ap¬ 
pointed you can see that this appointive duty is a very 
important and difficult one if the city is to secure the 
men and women best fitted for the various lines of 
work and most deserving them. To assist in most of 
these appointments is the Civil Service Commission, 
chosen by the Council. There are three members who 
serve for six years. They classify all types of city 
employes and determine the characteristics needed 
for success in the different types of work. Competitive 
examinations are given to select men and women eligi¬ 
ble for the various jobs. Those who pass these ex¬ 
aminations are placed on the eligible list and await 
their turn for openings in their fields. This plan is to 
help to determine fitness in the various lines, to pre¬ 
vent favoritism in making appointments, and to assure 
longer terms of employment for those who work sat¬ 
isfactorily. In normal times Oklahoma City employs 
about a thousand men and women to carry on the work 
of the total population of about two hundred thousand. 

All city employes chosen under this plan can be 
discharged by the City Manager or by the heads of their 
departments for such offenses as neglect of duty and in¬ 
subordination. The discharged employes may appeal 
to the Civil Service Commission within five days after 
dismissal. The Commission has the power to approve 
the dismissal action or to reinstate the employe. 

Initiative, Referendum, and Recall. Under the 
present plan of government the voters of Oklahoma City 
can check the actions of their officials. The initiative 
provides that an ordinance desired by some of the peo¬ 


ple but not made by the Council, may be brought to a 
vote of the people, if a petition to that effect is signed 
by 25% of the voters who voted in the last election. It 
must be put on the ballot at the next regular election, 
and if carried by a majority of the votes at that election, 
it becomes the law of the city, the same as if it has been 
voted by the Council. 

The referendum provides that the people may vote 
on an ordinance passed by the Council but objectionable 
to some of the voters. If a petition is signed by 25% of 
the voters who cast their ballots in the last election 
requesting a referendum on a certain ordinance, it must 
be put on the ballot at the next general election. Unless 
approved by a majority of those voting in that election 
the ordinance becomes void and is no longer a law of 
the city. 

The recall is a way of retiring an objectionable 
elected city official before his term of office expires. 
It has never been used in Oklahoma City. 

Questions : 

1. Name the three forms of city government that 
Oklahoma City has had, in the order that they 
have been used. How long was each of the 
first two plans used? When was the present 
one adopted? 

2. What is meant by a city charter? Who grants 
it? How may it be changed? 

3. What is meant by city ordinances? Who passes 
them? How may they be changed? 

4. How many councilmen have we now? Elected 
for how long? 

5. On what years are the elections? What time 
of year? How many councilmen are elected 
at each election? 

6. What change was made in electing councilmen 
by the amendment to the charter which was 
adopted in 1934. 

7. How is the City Manager chosen? For how 
long? 

8. What are the duties of the City Manager? 

9. What is the Mayor’s work in connection with 
the Council? 

10. What officials does the Council choose? For 
how long? 

11. How is the Civil Service Commission chosen? 
What are its duties? 

12. Illustrate how the Initiative could be used in 
Oklahoma City. The Referendum. What are 
the benefits of these plans? Does the State of 
of Oklahoma have similar law-making provi¬ 
sions? 






78 


Challenge of Democracy 


13. What is the purpose and plan of the Recall? 
Does the State of Oklahoma have the Recall 
provision? 

14. Study the outline of Oklahoma City govern¬ 
ment. See the relation of its various parts. 

PUBLIC UTILITIES 

It has been said that a government performs for its 
citizens those services that they can not do as well for 
themselves. There are some necessities and conveniences 
that city folks can not well provide for themselves, such 
as heating, lighting, water, transportation, and commun¬ 
ication. In a community the size of ours the government 
must make provisions and regulations for these neces¬ 
sities and conveniences. Electricity, gas, water, tele¬ 
phones, buses, and street cars, because they are used by 
so many people and because communities learn to de¬ 
pend upon them for certain services, are called public 
utilities. Others are the mail, telegraph, radio, air lines, 
railroads, and pipe lines, but these are regulated by fed¬ 
eral authority. 

Government control of public utilities is necessary 
because of their far-reaching influence upon the economic 
development of the community. When this influence 
becomes such a factor that it prevents the establishment 
and progress of similar enterprises, it becomes a monopo¬ 
ly. Under such a condition the people must put up with 
any kind of service that the monopoly chooses to give 
unless some official control is placed upon it. In some 
cases, however, a company such as a light company or 
telephone company, can not operate profitably unless it 
is protected by a special contract with the city. This is 
called a franchise. 

A franchise is a grant by a government to a public 
service corporation for the right to operate their service 
or business within the city. It may or may not be a 
monopoly. It generally states certain limitations and re¬ 
strictions for the operation of the business and the length 
of time of the grant. In order to encourage good public 
service, some municipalities have often granted fran¬ 
chises for 99 years, and, in some cases, perpetual. Ok¬ 
lahoma’s constitution provides that municipal franchises 
shall not be granted for more than 25 years. 

Questions : 

1. Name five public utilities common to cities. 

2. Why is government control necessary? 

3. What public utilities are federally controlled? 

Why? 

4. What is a monopoly? 

5. What is a franchise? 


6. For how long may a franchise be granted in 
Oklahoma? Why not longer? 

The Water Department. The management of the 
Oklahoma City Water Department is under the direc¬ 
tion of the City Manager. The head of the department 
is called the Superintendent. The officer in charge of 
the purification of the water is the Filtration Engi¬ 
neer. The department regularly employs about a hun¬ 
dred workers. 

Oklahoma City’s water is supplied by Lake Over- 
holser, about 10 miles northwest of the city. It is filled 
by the North Canadian River. It covers about 1,700 
acres and has a capacity of about 5,500,000,000 gallons. 
The water flows by gravity through two large conduits 
to the filtration plant and pumping station, located at 
4th Street, N. W. and Pennsylvania Avenue. There it 
is filtered, softened, and chemically sterilized. Then it 
is pumped through the main lines to various parts of 
the city and finally through smaller lines to the consum¬ 
ers. 

There are about 35,000 meters, which measure to 
the various users about thirteen million gallons of water 
daily. This amounts to about five billion gallons per 
year. The rate of use varies with the weather and with 
the time of day. 

Fire hydrants, 1,860 of them, are located where 
they enable connections to be made to fight fire in all 
parts of town. This is an important service of the 
water department. Street washing depends upon the 
water service, also. 

Good and sufficient water is necessary for the health, 
growth, safety, and general welfare of the city. In a 
normal year it is estimated that the present plan can 
care for a city of about 240,000. In dry seasons there is 
danger of a shortage and there already is need for a 
greater water supply. Various plans have been pro¬ 
posed for this extension, some of them dependent upon 
federal aid. As the city increases in population there 
will still be a need for a greater water supply. 

Sewage disposal is closely related to water service. 
Sanitary sewers serve all parts of the city, carrying 
away in constantly flowing streams fed by the water 
supply, the refuse that can be handled in this way. The 
northern part of the city flows to Deep Fork, the south¬ 
ern part to the North Canadian. This has polluted these 
streams and has necessitated the development of sewage 
treatment plants. The one northeast of the city “is one 
of the most modern developments in the United States 
and has created considerable interest among sanitary 
engineers over the whole country.” The one on East 






You and Your City 


79 



NORTH CANADIAN RIVER, NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY 


Fourth still has a good deal of improvement planned for 
it. 

Like most municipalities, Oklahoma City owns its 
water system, having purchased it from a private con¬ 
cern in 1900. Because of the dependence of all of the 
people and interests for health and safety, it is gener¬ 
ally considered that the water and sewer system, like 
the fire department, should be publicly owned and con¬ 
trolled. 

Water users pay in proportion to the amount used 
each month, a meter showing the amount that has flowed 
through during that month. Notice where the water 
meter is at your home or your parent’s place of business 
and learn to read the water bill which comes monthly. 

Questions : 

1. Who directs the Oklahoma City water depart¬ 
ment? How is he chosen? What should be 
his qualifications? 

2. Where is the water supply? How fed? 

3. Name two conditions that might make our 
water supply inadequate. 

4. What causes the water to flow to the city? 
Through the mains? 

5. Where and how is the water purified? 


6. What are the purpose and method of “soften¬ 
ing”? 

7. What is the purpose of water meters? Where 
placed? 

8. Name two purposes of fire hydrants. What 
parking restrictions for fire hydrant regions? 

9. How is sewage carried away? How disposed 

of? 

10. Where are our two sewage disposal plants? 
Why located where they are? 

11. Why should water systems be municipally 
owned? 

12. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of pro¬ 
posed extensions of Oklahoma City’s water 
supply. 

Light, Heat, and Power. Most of the lighting of 
homes and streets and places of business is electric. 
Much of the power is of the same source. Most users 
can not supply their electric current and so depend 
on a company for this service. 

A small steam plant supplied Oklahoma City’s first 
electric current, mainly for lighting homes and stores. 
Power was not the item that it is now, nor were streets 
and parks lighted as well as they are now. The demand 
for electric current was far less for the size of the town 

















80 


Challenge of Democracy 


than is true today. Carbon bulbs were used, as the more 
efficient bulbs that we enjoy had not been invented. This 
made the rate higher. 

Today electric current is supplied to Oklahoma City 
by two plants of the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Com¬ 
pany, with inter-connection with other of their lines to 
insure sufficient current in time of trouble. One of these 
is at Belle Isle and the other at Horseshoe Lake, near 
Harrah. In addition to lighting most of the buildings 
and streets of the city, electricity now furnishes much of 
the power and heat for many domestic machines and ap¬ 
pliances. 

For more than a quarter of a century Oklahoma 
City has been using natural gas from Oklahoma fields 
to provide light, heat, and power. It is supplied by the 
Oklahoma Natural Gas Company, which has a franchise 
from the city and is regulated by the State Corporation 
Commission. 

Questions: 

1. What three services does electricity render to 
a modern city? 

2. What uses of electricity are common to the 
modern home? Which one of these were not 
common ten years ago? 

3. Where are the two plants that supply Okla¬ 
homa City’s current? 

4. What company supplies Oklahoma City’s elec¬ 
tricity? Oklahoma City’s gas? 

5. What is the source of Oklahoma City’s gas? 

6. What uses does the modern home make of nat¬ 
ural gas ? 

7. How do Oklahoma City’s industries depend 
on electricity and gas? 

8. Where are your electric and gas meters lo¬ 
cated? Can you read them? On what units 
are the rates figured? 

9. Notice the electric and gas statements that 
come the first of the month. 

COMMUNICATION 

Communication. Oklahoma City folk communi¬ 
cate with one another and with people outside the 
city by means of the United States mail, telephone, 
and telegraph. They are in touch with themselves 
and the world through the radio. The mail is a 
federal service. The others are provided by cor¬ 
porations that are national, or even international in 
scope, and are under the control of State or United 
States authorities. 

Besides the main Post Office in the Federal Build¬ 


ing on Third Street, between Robinson and Harvey, 
there are such sub-stations as are needed for the con¬ 
venience of the patrons. Mail is collected and delivered 
for all parts of the city. This service is performed and 
controlled by ‘the federal Post Office Department, and 
much of the expense of it paid by postage stamps bought 
by the sender of the mail. 

Two telegraph companies, the Postal and the West¬ 
ern Union, keep Oklahoma City in touch with the rest 
of the world, connecting through cable lines with other 
nations. The Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, one 
of the branch companies of the American Telegraph and 
Telephone Company, connects us with each other and 
with people in other communities. The price paid for 
local and long distance calls and the monthly rent paid 
for each instrument provide the income for this service. 
Because these companies all operate in more than one 
state they are under federal control. They are called 
“inter-state.” 

Entertainment and education are offered by the 
radio companies. Oklahoma City has four broadcasting 
companies: WKY, KOMA, KTOK, and KOCY. Most 
stations are now connected with nation-wide service, as 
well as providing local numbers. In America, the ad¬ 
vertisers who provide the programs bear the expense of 
this service. In some countries radio owners are taxed 
to support the broadcasting companies. Like the tele¬ 
graph and telephone, the radio is under federal control. 

Questions : 

1. Name four kinds of communication service. 

2. Which one of these is a government service? 

3. Why are the other three under federal control?, 
Why would they not be satisfactory under 
state or city control? 

4. Where is the main postoffice in Oklahoma City? 
Where is the nearest sub-station to your 
home? 

5. Notice the location of boxes used for collect¬ 
ing and distributing mail. 

6. What restrictions are placed on the position 
and use of the mail box at your home? 

7. What two telegraph companies and what tele¬ 
phone company serve Oklahoma City? How is 
this service paid for? 

8. What is the meaning of “inter-state?” 

9. What services are rendered by the radio? 

10. What broadcasting companies operate in Ok¬ 
lahoma City? Where are their studios? Their 
broadcasting stations? 




You and Your City 


81 


11. How are the expenses of radio programs paid? 
What advantages are there to the European 
plan of taxing radio sets? 

12. Study the first pages of the telephone direc¬ 
tory for rates and regulations. 

Transportation. In a town the size of Oklahoma 
City it is impossible or inconvenient for most people 
to walk to their work or to their appointments. Some 
drive their own cars but many must ride public con¬ 
veyances. Street railways, buses, and cabs provide 
this service. In some cities elevated or underground 
lines increase the speed and lessen the interference 
and danger. 

In 1902 the Oklahoma Railway Company was 
granted a franchise to build and operate street railways. 
The city reserved the right to purchase the system at the 
■end of thirty years. In 1932 the city did not exercise 
this right, but retained the privilege of purchasing the 
system at the end of any fifteen year period. The rates 
of the company are officially regulated. 

Since 1902 the city railway system has gradually 
increased and modified its service in an effort to keep 
up with the growing and changing needs of the city. 
Lines must be added, dropped, or extended as the con¬ 
ditions demand. Some sections are better served by bus 
lines, which connect with street car service through 
transfers. People like the busses and few new street 
car lines are being laid. So many private cars and 
taxicabs are in use that the railway company has 
great difficulty in maintaining service. 

Taxicab service has become an important means of 
transportation within the city. The cab companies are 
under city regulations, their fares being subject to city 
control. 

Questions : 

What three kinds of public transportation in 
Oklahoma City? 

What are the advantages of elevated street 
railways and sub-ways? Does Oklahoma City 
need them? 

Would it be legal for Oklahoma City to own 
its street railways and bus lines? Would it be 
beneficial? 

Does our city government have any control 
over the fares on street cars and buses? 

Why are bus lines more suited to a growing 
city than street car lines? Why is it an ad¬ 
vantage for both to be operated by the same 
company? 

What are the advantages of taxicab service 
over the other two kinds? 



7. What right would a government have to re¬ 
quire taxis and public buses to have shatter¬ 
proof glass and other safety devices? 

8. Should taxi companies be allowed to reduce 
fares through competition, or should the City 
Council help to control taxi fares? 

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 

The City Engineer, appointed by the City Manager, 
supervises all engineering construction and operation of 
the city, except that of the Water Department and the 
Sewage Disposal Plants. The building and repair of street 
paving, sidewalks, sewers, and bridges come under the 
direction of this office; likewise, the street lighting and 
street cleaning. The municipal airport is planned by 
the City Engineering Department. 

The success of a town depends much upon the extent * 
and kind and cost of its streets and sidewalks. To grade 
and surface these in a satisfactory way and at lowest 
possible cost to the city and to the taxpayers who pay 
for these, calls for skill and business judgment on the 
part of the City Engineer. This is an example of how 
all people may have their expenditures and service im¬ 
proved by joint effort and by having the work directed 
by responsible, skilled type of engineering, secured 
through city management. 

Storm sewers and sanitary sewers are necessary 
to the traffic and health of a city. Many miles of these 
invisible servants have been planned, laid, and main¬ 
tained, and the work of this department must be con¬ 
stantly extended and replaced or enlarged as the city 
grows or as certain portions get a denser population or 
develop in such a way as to demand more of this service. 

Safety of traffic and safety from law-breakers de¬ 
pend much on the extent and kind of lighting of streets 
and alleys. The thousands of lights are gauged and 
placed where they will do most good to most people and 
with least interferences. 

It is interesting to compare an early-day picture 
of Oklahoma City with present conditions and notice 
how the streets and alleys have been cleared of lines 
that once so interfered with view and safety. Not so 
long ago telephone and light poles and wires were 
crowded along the streets, especially in business sec¬ 
tions. Nowadays many of these are grouped in cables 
and most of the lines run underground. Many of the 
“man-holes” that you see along streets are to permit 
workers to reach the various underground lines of serv¬ 
ice. 

Many of Oklahoma City’s streets, like those of most 






82 


Challenge of Democracy 


towns, have to be changed to suit changed conditions. 
Horse-drawn vehicles of a few years ago could use nar¬ 
row streets satisfactorily and safely. The enormous 
increase in automobile traffic, and the “peak-loads” in 
certain places and at certain hours of the day, have made 
it necessary to widen some streets. This has often 
resulted in moving trees, narrowing parkings and side¬ 
walks, and sometimes affecting the desirability of busi¬ 
ness or residence property. 

The Engineering Department is responsible for the 
signs and notices that make traffic safer. It must de¬ 
cide the kind and location of signs. Among these are 
stop signs, “no-left-turn” signs, and those indicating the 
speed limits. Certain busier and more dangerous cor¬ 
ners have electric controls. The parking limits and areas 
where parking is forbidden must be carefully marked. 
Parking meters are among the more recent devices. Such 
safety provisions are necessary in a large and growing 
city and demand much thought and ability on the part 
of the Engineering Department and the police. These 
devices for safety and convenience are for the public 
good and can be successful only as pedestrians and 
drivers carefully observe them. When we are reckless 
or careless in walking or driving we make public 
nuisances of ourselves. We not only endanger our own 
safety but that of others. 

Questions : 

1. Who is at the head of the Engineering De¬ 
partment in Oklahoma City? How selected? 

2. What lines of work are under his department? 

3. What right does the city have to require the 
building of sidewalks and to determine their 
nature? 

4. Who pays the expense of street paving? How 
is it proportioned? 

5. What two kinds of sewers do we have? 

6. Compare a 1905 picture of a street in Oklaho¬ 
ma City’s business district with a recent one. 
What changes are noticeable? 

7. What recent improvement in widening streets 
and rounding corners have you noticed? Why 
were these changes not necessary several 
years ago? 

8. What safety devices for traffic and for pedes¬ 
trians are under control of the Engineering 
Department? 

POLICE SYSTEM 

The Police Department comes under the direction 
of the City Manager. He selects a Chief of Police, who 
heads up all the police work of the city. Just as the Fire 


Department does much to prevent fire, the police render 
much of their most valuable service in preventing crime 
and danger, not just catching the offenders. The police 
are really among the best friends of all people in pro¬ 
tecting the law-abiding from the law-breakers and in 
helping to check the law-breakers from getting them¬ 
selves into trouble. The three largest items of city ex¬ 
pense are the Water, Fire, and Police Departments. The 
first, through its charge for water service, is self-sup¬ 
porting. But the Police Department can have very little 
income, for the fines total a relatively small part of what 
police protection costs the city. However parking meter 
fees now pay the cost of regulation of parking in the 
metered areas. 

What are some of the specific ways in which we are 
helped by the police? First, protection from crimes of 
violence. Careless, drunken, crazed, desperate, and de¬ 
generate people are liable to injure themselves and others, 
and take human life. Individuals and groups are power¬ 
less to protect themselves. Trained, armed men, legalized 
to use force to catch and imprison or fine such people, 
must provide our protection. Police must be stationed 
at such convenient places and provided with such quick 
and efficient transportation that they can respond to calls 
for protection. 

Second, protection of property from theft. In re¬ 
cent years this is especially important for protecting 
our cars. Every person is duty bound to use every means 
possible to protect his own property from thieves, but 
often that is impossible. The presence or nearness of 
police often keeps the thief from taking our property. 
When a theft has occurred, the police are expected to do 
everything possible to catch the offender and restore 
the property. More than a third of a million dollars 
worth of stolen goods and cars are recovered annually 
in Oklahoma City- Thieves who are caught are turned 
over to the courts for prosecution. 

Third, the police help to enforce the laws on the 
sale of liquors and narcotics. Men trained in finding 
and catching those who sell narcotics have been success¬ 
ful in reducing this terrible traffic in the drugs that 
ruin lives. 

In recent years the radio Patrol has developed the 
backbone of the Police Department. In 1938 it consists 
of six autos by day and nine at night which patrol the 
city constantly, subject to dispatch by radio. They 
also have twenty motorcycles working in two shifts 
subject to call by radio. Radio patrol officers work in 
pairs because of the great danger while working singly. 

Probably the most appreciated service of the Police 
Department is in making traffic safe for both drivers 





You and Your City 


83 


and pedestrians. Busy crossings at busy hours would 
be far from safe without the presence of watchful traffic 
officers. Our sense of safety is greatly increased through 
the supervision and control thus provided. Speedways 
are made safer for all by the supervision of those who 
are reckless about their speed. We now have more 
rigid standards as to drivers’ licenses. Oklahoma 
now has a state law that all drivers must obtain a 



CIVIC CENTER 

(Courtesy Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce) 


state license. Should there be more rigid regulations 
concerning testing of brakes and lights and obstruc¬ 
tions and interferences of drivers? What additional 
changes would you suggest? Do you know of states 
or cities where these standards are better, or worse, 
than ours? 

How could pupils get to and from their schools 
these days without the help of the police, both those em¬ 
ployed by the city and our own Junior Police? This serv¬ 
ice, alone is probably worth the total cost of the Police 
Department. The best way to make it effective is to be 
watchful and cooperative. Pedestrians who cross where 
crossings are not indicated, who cross without watching 
for cars, who walk against the lights, and in other ways 
are careless or disobedient not only endanger their own 
safety but make it unfairly difficult for drivers. 

Our city now has an accident prevention squad 


consisting of two cars and four officers. They inves¬ 
tigate all accidents as soon as possible. They get the 
evidence and file charges against those guilty of neg¬ 
ligence or law violation. 

The good citizen recognizes the fact that his lib¬ 
erty can not be complete so long as he lives among 
other people. Alone on a desert island he might be 
really free to do as he pleased, but who wants that 
kind of liberty? In the country he can have greater 
freedom of action than in a city; in a home with a 
yard more than in an apartment. So we see that 
freedom is a relative term determined by the condi¬ 
tions in which we live. How often have you heard 
someone say, “this is a free country,” and then pro¬ 
ceed to do something which interferes with the 
rights of other people? 

Laws are made for the public good. Would 
you like to live where every person makes his own? 
Some Americans seem to feel that laws must be 
obeyed by the other person and that they are not 
under any obligation to keep the law if it interferes 
with what they want; that each man should be his 
own judge. Is that democracy, and does it lead to 
happiness and good government? 

In an Authoritarian government respect for 
law is enforced at every point; in a Democracy we 
have much more freedom, but it is just as neces¬ 
sary that we obey our laws. This lack of respect 
for law is one reason that we have such a large 
crime bill in the United States and why so many 
young people get into jail. They think it is “all right 
if we can get away with it.” Such thinking is all 
wrong; it is selfish and unreasonable, and leads to 
disaster. We can not begin too soon to respect the 
laws under which we live at home, in school, in our 
city, in our nation. 

Questions : 

1. Who selects the Chief of Police? 

2. In what way does the Police Department pre¬ 
vent crimes? 

3. Is the Police Department mainly self-support¬ 
ing? 

4. In what ways does the Police Department 
make us safer? From what kinds of people 
does it protect us? 

5. How does Oklahoma City’s Police Department 
cooperate with the peace officers of the coun¬ 
ty, state, and nation? 

6. In what ways does the Police Department add 
to the safety of property? 

7. How is the Police Department made more ef¬ 
fective by being provided with motorcycles 
















84 


Challenge op Democracy 


and automobiles? 

8. Watch for police service at parades, funerals, 
fires, public gatherings, and such places. 

9. Why should some policemen wear uniforms 
with stars in view while others are dressed so 
that they can not be recognized as peace officers? 

10. How can we aid in reducing the cost of the 
police department? 

11. Should the presence or nearness of an officer 
change our attitude about observing laws? 

12. When in doubt about a city ordinance or reg¬ 
ulation, where and how would you get de¬ 
pendable information? 

13. In what ways do the police increase the safety 
of school children? 

14. How can we aid the police in enforcement of 
laws and in the protection of life and prop¬ 
erty? 

CARE OF UNFORTUNATES 

Even when times are good there are always in a 
large city many people who must have financial help. 
In hard times this group is greatly increased. Some 
of these are residents, some are transients, while others 
are attracted to the city in hopes of getting work or 
help. It is hard to prevent needless suffering and hard¬ 
ship for these folk and still protect well-meaning resi¬ 
dents from being imposed upon by unworthy cases. This 
requires careful cooperation between the city govern¬ 
ment and the various unofficial organizations and 
agencies that share in caring for those in need. 

Much relief work is cared for by individual gifts. 
If each person helped in his own way those who chanced 
to appeal to him and get his sympathy, there would be 
much waste through overlapping of help. Many worthy 
cases would be missed and there would be much imposi¬ 
tion. Most people have learned that their money will 
do more good when used by the welfare organizations. 
The churches and lodges render much aid of this sort. 
They depend upon their members for the money that 
they spend for charity. 

In recent years the Community Chest has come into 
favor in most towns. Oklahoma City has had such a 
plan since 1923. Various agencies that do welfare work 
are allotted a percentage of the total budget raised for 
this fund and subscribers are able to give to this com¬ 
bined fund with assurance that they will not be called 
upon for similar purposes off and on throughout the 
year. Most cities raise this budget in the fall, securing 
pledges which are to be paid at specified times through 
the months, and then pro rate the money in proportion 
to the actual collections. 


Each of the organizations and agencies has a re¬ 
sponsibility for a certain line of service or relief. There 
is some overlapping but far, far less than was true be¬ 
fore the co-operative program. A few of the organiza¬ 
tions which share in the Community Chest are not chari¬ 
table services, but are Character Training agencies, 
whose work does much to prevent poverty and crime. 
They train both leaders and followers and prepare boys 
and girls to spend their leisure time safely and profit¬ 
ably. These investments in preventive measures help 
to reduce the amounts needed for relief. The agencies 
and organizations listed below share in the Community 
Chest. Other cities have a different list of agencies and 
even in Oklahoma City the list necessarily changes from 
time to time. 

American Red Cross 
Boy Scouts 
Camp Fire Girls 

Children’s Joint Case Committee 
Children’s Welfare League 
Home of Redeeming Love 
Parent Teacher Association 
Saint Joseph’s Orphanage 
Salvation Army 
School Feeding Program 
Social Service Exchange 
Sunbeam Home 
Tuberculosis Society 

United Provident Association, which includes the 
White Day Nursery and the Colored Day Nur¬ 
sery 

Young Men’s Christian Association 
Young Women’s Christian Association 
These agencies do far more than provide money. 
They do various things to help the unfortunate to be¬ 
come wholly or partially self-supporting, to enable people 
who are stranded away from home to get back to those 
who can and should care for them, and to find who is 
responsible for needy cases and require them to as¬ 
sume their responsibility. 

During the depression the State and Federal 
agencies have aided heavily in caring for the unusual 
numbers of those in need. This is done in connection 
with the local relief and welfare agencies. It will be re¬ 
duced as conditions get better, and may possibly be with¬ 
drawn with return of better times. 

There are always some people who will not work 
more than they must and who will accept all the help 
that they can get from individuals and agencies. These 
cases can usually be dealt with best by organizations 
which know how to investigate them and keep records 









You and Your City 


85 


of them, and can find out what other means of help 
they may have. This helps to protect us from imposition 
and fraud and insures that the money that we give or 
subscribe will do most good. 

In time of unusual disaster, such as floods, exten¬ 
sive fires, and storms like the Bethany tornado, we are 
called upon to make extra contributions for those tem¬ 
porarily in need, so that they may as soon as possible 
be self-supporting again. Often we are permitted to 
help out in more distant disasters. The Red Cross usual¬ 
ly has charge of such relief. The Community Chest 
budget is not planned to care for these emergencies- 
It is generally accepted that people in more fortu¬ 
nate circumstances have both an opportunity and a duty 
to help those who are temporarily or permanently unable 
to provide the necessities of life. Increasingly it is con¬ 
sidered the government’s duty to share in this work, 
but the time will probably never come when most of this 
relief and help should be done by the government, either 
City or Federal. Each community will be expected to 
do much to care for its unfortunates, and each member 
of the community will be expected to have a part in this 
relief and welfare work. 

Terms : 

Transients 
Community Chest 
Budget 

Social Service Exchange 
Co-operative Program 
Dole 

Welfare Agencies 
Community Chest Subscribers 
Pro rate 
Stranded 
Federal Relief 

Questions : 

1. What kind of charity cases are dealt with by 
the City? (See Police Department.) 

2. Should the city raise tax money to provide 
shelter, food, clothes, and medical help for the 
unfortunate? What points for and against? 

3. Should the State or the Federal Government 
provide any of this relief? 

4. What are some of the causes of poverty? 
What can the government do to reduce pov¬ 
erty? 

5. Why should relief work not all be left to in¬ 
dividual gifts? 

6. What are the benefits of the Community Chest 
plan? 

7. What organizations and agencies share in the 


Oklahoma City Community Chest? Do other 
cities have the same list? 

8. When is the Community Chest usually sub¬ 
scribed? When may payments be made? 

9. What do the welfare organizations do besides 
providing material relief? Illustrate. 

10. In what ways are sufferers cared for in times 
of disaster? What organization usually has 
most charge in cases of disaster, such as 
storms and big fires and floods? 

11. Do you believe in the “dole”? 

12. Should our government have old age pensions? 

Activities: 

1. Visit the United Provident Day Nursery or 
some other welfare agency. 

2. Write a two hundred word article about some 
Community Fund Agency. 

3. Ask a welfare worker to talk to your class 
about the work of her agency. 

4. Learn the difference between a private agency 
and a public agency. 

HEALTH 

Before the World War, Oklahoma City had no De¬ 
partment of Health. The epidemic of influenza in 1919 
brought about the Public Health Nursing Bureau, and 
when the City-Manager plan of government was adopted 
the Department of Health was created. It is “a social 
agency for disease prevention.” Seven bureaus direct the 
city’s health program. 

The Bureau of Sanitation cares for garbage collec¬ 
tion, disposal of garbage, and sanitary inspection. Resi¬ 
dences, apartment houses, hotels, and business houses 
are charged a certain amount monthly to pay for the dis¬ 
posal of garbage. This is a real service to residents and 
owners, and does much to prevent the spread of disease. 
Some people permit their premises to become places for 
breeding and spreading disease germs unless required by 
law to keep their places sanitary. Note that this service 
is paid for by those who benefit most from it. 

The Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps records of 
health, births, and deaths. What are the benefits of 
such records? 

The Bureau of Food, Inspection and Laboratories 
supervises the sanitation of dairies and places that sell 
food and drinks. The City Chemist makes examinations 
for chemical and bacteriological content of water, drinks, 
or food submitted to him. Fees for these services help 
to support this bureau. 

The Bureau of Nursing cooperates with the Public 






86 


Challenge of Democracy 


Schools, Red Cross, Tuberculosis Association, and with 
insurance companies that pay for nursing services to 
policy holders. It assists doctors in public clinics and 
provides medical care of the unfortunates. It cooperates 
with social service agencies in selecting children for sum¬ 
mer camps. Much of the time is used in routine in¬ 
spection of school children. 

The Bureau of Contagion has charge of isolating 
contagious cases. Such cases that are reported are either 
immunized (vaccinated, etc.) or else isolated until the 
danger time has passed. Sometimes this means quaran¬ 
tine in the patient’s home and sometimes in the Deten¬ 
tion Hospital. The sanitary conditions of the patient 
are supervised. 

The Bureau of Medical Service prepares civil serv¬ 
ice questions for applicants for Health Department 
positions, issues school permits in contagious cases, ex¬ 
amines food handlers, gives inoculations not cared for 
by the school service, provides daily visits by a physician 
to the City Jail and day nurseries, and answers calls to 
sick and injured city employees. 

The Bureau of Dairy Control inspects the dairy 
farms which supply Oklahoma City with milk, and 
requires that certain sanitary standards be main¬ 
tained and that diseased animals be eliminated. The 
bureau also inspects local milk and bottling plants for 
sanitation. 

Health Results. The number of deaths resulting 
from such diseases as small pox, diphtheria, and ty¬ 
phoid can be reduced, as is shown by the reports of 
the Department of Health. By caring properly for the 
cases as they appear and are reported, the city pro¬ 
tects you and me from contagion. 

The health work in the public schools is one of the 
most important and reaches more people in time to pre¬ 
vent disease. Examinations of pupils reveal weaknesses 
or dangers that need attention. If these reports and 
warnings are heeded in time thousands of pupils may be 
spared needless sickness and may go through life much 
stronger and better able to make a living and to enjoy 
life. 

Questions : 

1. How long has Oklahoma City had a Depart¬ 
ment of Health? Why was it created when it 
was? 

2. What is the work of the Bureau of Sanitation? 

3. Why should all residences and business places 
be made to dispose of garbage promptly and 
properly? Who renders this removal service? 
How is it paid for? 


4. What advantages in keeping records of births 
and deaths and health statistics? 

5. What places must be specially well supervised 
for sanitation if the health of all of us is to 
be assured? Who does this examining? How 
are the expenses provided? 

6. What is the work of the Bureau of Nursing?' 
How connected with our schools? 

7. How is the spread of contagious disease pre¬ 
vented or controlled? Under what bureau is. 
this responsibility? 

8. Define: immunized, detention hospital, quaran¬ 
tine, isolated, inoculation, and any other terms 
that need to be made clear in order to under¬ 
stand the discussion. 

9. Why is the city justified in taxing all of us 
to provide medical inspections, and services 
when maybe we can and do pay for our own 
health service? 

PUBLIC LIBRARIES 

Oklahoma City pioneers had to wait ten years for a 
public library. As the town grew and as educational 
and cultural needs began to receive more attention, re¬ 
quests were frequent for opportunities to get more and 
better reading. In the spring of 1898 the Philomathea 
Club pledged itself to secure a library for the new city. 
Books were given and money subscribed to open a pub¬ 
lic library in rooms furnished by the Chamber of Com¬ 
merce. 

Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy philanthropist, was 
then assisting numerous American cities to provide 
buildings for their libraries. He was impressed with 
the needs in Oklahoma City and gave $25,000 toward the 
building, with the understanding that the city would 
furnish the site and guarantee sufficient money to equip 
and maintain the library. When an addition was needed 
in 1909, he made another gift of $35,900. 

The corner stone of the building, at Third and 
Robinson, was laid August 16, 1900, and the building 
was dedicated August 27, 1901. In the third of a cen- 
tuiy which has passed since then, this library has become 
the center of a great city system of libraries, supported 
by city tax, and made possible by a State law. 

The first branch was established in 1921, to serve 
the colored readers. Four years later a second branch 
was opened at Packingtown. Since then branches have 
been established in connection with the various senior 
and junior high schools. These serve the pupils of those 
schools and the adults in those neighborhoods. Enough 
















You and Your City 


87 


of the branches are kept open during the summer va¬ 
cation to make library service convenient to all parts of 
the town. 

As the city grows and as there is evidence of great¬ 
er need, the number and extent of the various branches 
will be developed to meet the needs. Oklahoma City peo¬ 
ple, both adults and children, are extremely fortunate 
to have such an abundance of good reading, so conven¬ 
ient and at so little expense. In fact, the user of all of 
these materials and services gets these free, unless books 
are lost or damaged or kept overtime. 

In 1936-37, 81,585 registered borrowers checked 
out 1,181,521 books from various city libraries. The 
main library alone circulated 367,520. In addition to 
providing this abundance of reading matter, the staff 
members of the various libraries render much other 
important service. They are specially trained for 
their work and are able to help readers find reference 
material quickly on almost any subject. Most people 
do not know how to use a library effectively and with 
little loss of time. We need instruction in this and 
the library staff members are trained to do this. One 
does not have to wait for such teaching to be done in 
school or in groups, but can get suggestions on how to 
find and use material whenever such help is needed. 
Junior high school pupils are expected to have learned 
piuch about the use of libraries before they reach the 
ninth grade. They should make sure that this training 
is pretty well accomplished before going on to senior 
high school. This ability will help much to learn more 
quickly and more effectively a good many of the courses 
in senior high school and later in college, for those who 
attend these schools. 

Questions : 

1. Where is the central library in Oklahoma 
City? Who may use it? 

2. What must one do to become a registered bor- 
rower? 

3. Is there a branch library in your school? If 
so, who may use it? 

4. What is the relation of a branch library to 
the central library? 

5. What are the library hours? 

6. Mention the ways that adults are helped by 
the library system. 

7. How are the libraries financed? 

8. Why do we speak of a “Carnegie” library? 

9. What is the meaning of the numbers in a li¬ 
brary book and on its card? 

10. Does a good citizen write or draw in a library 
book? Does he tear out pages? Why not? 


PUBLIC RECREATION 

A modern city is interested in parks, playgrounds, 
and pools for swimming and wading. Oklahoma City 
ranks well among the cities of the United States in pro¬ 
viding such places for rest, recreation, and education. 
It is more fortunate than some in having streams and 
suitable places for making lakes. It is also able to grow 
desirable trees, shrubs, grass, and flowers. This not 
only helps to beautify the city, but adds safe and pleas¬ 
ant places to spend leisure time. As the city grows, these 
places will doubtless become more necessary, more de¬ 
veloped, and more appreciated. 

Among the largest of the parks are Lincoln, Tros- 
per, Will Rogers, Southwest, Rotary, Memorial, and 
Wiley Post. Some of these, especially the Wiley Post, 
have been recently improved with “relief” labor. There 
the river overflow has been controlled, vegetation pos¬ 
sibilities increased, provisions made for a zoo, and 
grounds prepared for outdoor games. 

Oklahoma City can well be proud of the zoo in 
Lincoln Park. It offers an excellent opportunity to 
study natural science, to know plants and animals 
and birds better than can be done from books and 
pictures alone, for they are shown in their native 
habitats as far as possible. 

First located at Wheeler park, the zoo was swept 
away by flood in 1923. The little that was saved be¬ 
came the nucleus of our present splendid zoo, whose 
reconstruction and expansion have been one of the 
chief achievements of the park department in recent 
years. It represents an investment of about $300,000 
and is being constantly improved. Zoo population is 
constantly shifting through trades and gifts, but in 
March 1938 it consisted of 167 animals and 100 fowls. 

Will Rogers park has been developed in recent 
years. Here have been located the city green houses 
which supply flowers for all parks, an arboretum, a 
rose garden and iris gardens. 

There are many smaller park places. Civic Cen¬ 
ter is becoming a beautiful and fitting center for city 
activities, and affords a breathing space in the midst 
of the business section. We should be careful not to 
mar its beautiful buildings or leave rubbish on its 
lawns. 

Opportunities for rest and recreation need to be 
brought nearer to all the people, some of whom can not 
spare the time and do not have the means to reach the 
more distant parks. That is one reason why more and 
more small centers should be scattered through town. 
Small children can get much more good from the near¬ 
by parks and with less danger. 













88 


Challenge of Democracy 


Wading pools, ball grounds, tennis courts, golf 
courses, croquet and horseshoe grounds, bowling greens, 
and play equipment, located at convenient and accessi¬ 
ble places, will do much to make Oklahoma City a 
better place in which to live. 

Parks and playgrounds are bought, improved, and 
maintained out of money raised by taxes. They are 
considered among the best investments that the city 
makes. Both the cost and the condition of these places 
will depend upon the consideration of those who use 
them. Flowers should not be pulled, plants should 
never be destroyed or even injured as we use the 
parks and playgrounds. Rubbish should always be 
carefully placed in the containers provided for that 
purpose. Play and driving should never needlessly 
interfere with the safety and pleasure of others, who 
have just as much right to enjoy the parks as we 
do. The management can not make a real success of 
them without our thoughtful co-operation. 

The Federal government has aided park develop¬ 
ment by granting money to employ workers and help 
carry out projects. This money has come from “re¬ 
lief” funds used by the government to give work to 
those unemployed. 

You will notice in the list of city commissions that 
there is a Park Board, appointed by the Mayor. There 
is, also, a Park Superintendent, appointed by the City 
Manager. 

School Recreational Program. School playgrounds 
are used extensively by adult groups. “Sandlot” 
leagues for baseball, soft ball, croquet, horseshoes, 
and such games add much to the recreational oppor¬ 
tunities of Oklahoma City. Many are afforded pleas¬ 
ant and beneficial exercise while thousands are pro¬ 
vided wholesome entertainments in their leisure time. 

It is more especially for children that the schools 
finance and supervise playgrounds for eleven weeks 
during the summer months. The City Playground 
Department has set up a definite program of activity 
and study which is carried out through the summer. All 
school grounds not near a city park are open for five 
days a week. 

During the summer of 1937 the schools em¬ 
ployed 174 workers to lead the programs in 39 schools. 
The facilities at the disposal of the public were: 
Athletic Fields; Baseball Diamonds; Swimming Pools; 
Tennis Courts; Wading Pools; Handball Courts; Horse¬ 
shoe Courts; Soft Ball Diamonds; and Stadium. 

In 1937 there were over 30 Recreation Activities. 
Those in which the most participated were: Handcraft 
for children; Horseshoes; Paddle Tennis; Soft Ball; 


Tennis; Volley Ball; Folk Dancing; Play; Community 
Singing; Drama Tournaments; Story Telling; Swim¬ 
ming; Hobby Clubs; and Bicycle Clubs. 

During the summer of 1937 the Playground De¬ 
partment spent $31,176.57 and the total attendance for 
the summer was 734,761. 

Questions : 

1. How do games and play show good or bad 
citizenship? 

2. What small parks near your home or your 
school can you name? 

3. In what ways have these parks been extended 
or improved in the last few years? 

4. In what ways do our schools add to the rec¬ 
reational facilities? 

5. Why should junior high school boys and girls 
learn to play well several outdoor games? 

6. Are there any of our parks where no provision 
is made for picnics? Suggest some ways in 
which we can leave lunch places and picnic 
places in good shape for the next party. 

7. What thoughtfulness and consideration should 
we show when we lunch, picnic, or play along 
highways, on privately owned farms, and va¬ 
cant lots? 

8. Suggest other ways for improving Oklahoma 
City’s play places and recreation opportunities. 

9. Who is head of the City Park Department? 

10. Who is the “City Horticulturist”? 

11. What part do the schools take in providing rec¬ 
reation? 

12. What has been our greatest project in park 
development? 

13. Does the federal government have any part in 
aiding our Park Program? Explain. 

14. Write a theme upon something which you 
learned to do in a park this summer. 

EDUCATION 

Oklahoma City’s schools come under three heads: 
public, private, and church (parochial). In addition to 
the several private and church schools which give either 
elementary or high school work or both, there are pri¬ 
vately owned schools for special training, such as busi¬ 
ness schools. Having Oklahoma City University in our 
city makes it possible for a person to take all of his 
work from the kindergarten to a degree, right in his own 
town. 

Most of the pupils of the city are in the free public 
school system. These are supported by taxes and con¬ 
trolled by the people, through their elected representa- 







You and Your City 


89 


tives. The Oklahoma City District includes Britton, 
Nichols Hills, and some rural territory on all sides of 
the city limits. Children within the legal age limits 
and living within the district may attend from the kin¬ 
dergarten through the twelfth grade without paying 
tuition. In few countries other than the United States 
is that true. 

A Board of Education of nine members, two from 
each of the four wards and one from the city at large, 
is in charge of the public schools of Oklahoma City. 
The two from each ward are nominated and elected by 
the ward in which they live, and serve for four years. 
Each ward chooses one board member each odd year. 
The ninth member is nominated and elected by the 
city at large and serves for two years. Thus, in the 
springs of 1935, 1937, etc., five members are elected. 
The Board elects a President and a Vice-President from 
among its own number. The President appoints mem¬ 
bers to serve on committees that deal with the various 
school problems and interests. All members of the 
Board of Education serve without pay. 

The Board selects five men who are in direct charge 
of five departments of the school system: Superintend¬ 
ent, Clerk-Business Manager, Attorney, Auditor, and 
Treasurer. Under the first two the various types of 
school work are carried on. Besides the work of teach¬ 
ing, there are other duties, such as the following: im¬ 
proving attendance, handling working permits, and di¬ 
recting and issuing of free texts; erecting and repair¬ 
ing school buildings; caring for the buildings day by 
day; and, distributing school mail and supplies. It is 
the duty of these workers to see that there are safe, 
comfortable, convenient, and attractive buildings and 
grounds where you may get an education. 

The Superintendent is directly in charge of all 
of the teaching. Each of the schools has a principal, 
teachers, and such other staff members as the work 
of that school needs. These, like the employees men¬ 
tioned above, are recommended by the Superintend¬ 
ent and officially elected by the Board. 

Oklahoma City has what is called the 6-3-3 plan. 
Elementary schools, which run through the sixth grade, 
are located at such convenient and accessible places as 
will make it safe for smaller children to reach them. 
Junior high schools, containing grades seven to nine, 
are either located in separate buildings or with an ele¬ 
mentary or a senior high school. The upper three years 
of the twelve are given in the senior high school. Your 
maps in “Entering Junior High School” and “Entering 
Senior High School” show the location of the high 
schools and the part of the district which each serves. 


How are the Oklahoma City public schools supr 
ported? There are several sources, most important of 
which is tax paid on the property in the district. This 
is more than half of the total bill for schools, and a few 
years ago made up more than three-fourths of the total. 

Other sources from which the schools derive 
money are from the income of the State School Land 
Department; State Income Tax; Royalty on Oil and 
Gas holdings of the district; Gross Production Tax; 
Transfer fees from non-resident pupils; State tuition 
for orphans; State tuition for Vocational Education; 
and some other miscellaneous sources. 

In other districts of Oklahoma the distribution of 
items of support are greatly different. Some of 
them have no Oil and Gas Royalties or State Tui¬ 
tion for Orphans. Some have more Gross Production 
Tax on Minerals, while some have none. In some the 
tax on local property is so little that the schools can not 
be kept open without outside help. For these the State 
Legislature appropriates what is called the “Weak School 
Fund,” and this is distributed in proportion to the needs 
of the districts. During the Depression the federal 
government has spent many, many thousands of dollars 
to keep weak schools from closing with short terms. 

Just a few years ago each district was expected to 
bear nearly all of the expenses of its schools. In recent 
years the idea has been growing that the State and the 
Nation should bear a larger part of the cost of public 
schools. Why should a city be expected to educate its 
own children? Why should it expect more help from the 
State and the Nation? Why should business interests 
and residents without children of school age pay to edu¬ 
cate all the children? There are good reasons. How 
many can you name? 

When the district and the State and the Nation pay 
money for schooling, it is not as a “gift.” It is an IN¬ 
VESTMENT. Is it a good investment? That de¬ 
pends on you. 

Usually all of the school buildings, and often most 
of the equipment and furniture are bought with money 
raised by school bonds. This means that the school pa¬ 
trons vote bonds which they sell, and the money is spent 
for the buildings and equipment. This is really a means 
of borrowing money. The bonds must be repaid when 
due, usually about twenty years after they are voted. 
In order that there will be enough money on hand to 
pay the bonds when they are due, the district votes an 
annual tax for the “sinking fund” which, as it accumu¬ 
lates and draws interest, provides enough money to pay 
the interest on the school bonds and to “retire” them 
when they are due. 








90 


Challenge of Democracy 


If it were not for this possibility of voting bonds 
for buildings, the district would not have enough at one 
time to erect a school house or to equip it. Also, this 
•enables the cost of buildings to be spread over the years 
and to be borne by people who enjoy the use of the prop¬ 
erty several years after it is built as well as just when 
it is new. On the other hand, the borrowing plan is a 
costly one, for when the interest is added to the amount 
of the bonds, the cost of such buildings is more than it 
appears to be. Sometimes, when times are good and 
school income larger, the district sets aside an amount 
each year out of the annual tax levy, which accumulates 
as a building fund to be used as needed for new build¬ 
ings, extensions, or replacements. This is less expensive 
in the long run than the borrowing plan, but is impos¬ 
sible for most districts because the law limits the 
school tax rates. 

Questions: 

1. How many members of the Board of Education 
of Oklahoma City? 

2. For how many years is each elected? 

3. What officers does the Board elect? 

4. What are the duties of the Superintendent? 
How is he chosen? 

5. Where is the Board of Education located? 

6. Name three of the largest sources of financial 
support of our schools. 

7. What are some other financial sources? 

8. What are some of the oldest elementary build¬ 
ings? The newest? 

9. What is a school bond? 

10. Why are school bonds used to raise money for 
school buildings? 

11. Why does a city have more junior high schools 
than senior highs? More elementary than 
junior high? 

12. What is meant by a parochial school? 

13. What obligation do you have in return for the 
money spent upon your education? 

14. Who pays for your education? 

FIRE PROTECTION 

A city has a real problem in preventing and extin¬ 
guishing fires. Life and property must be protected. 
Individuals can not look after their own protection, so 
through their organized city government, they make 
laws and rules and hire men and buy material to make 
the city safer from fire. 

Prevention is an important consideration. City or¬ 
dinances and regulations forbid the erecting of a build¬ 
ing in certain “zones” where there is a fire menace. For | 


that reason, wooden structures are not allowed where 
the danger is greatest. Explosive and inflammable ma¬ 
terials must be so kept and safe-guarded that they are 
not likely to start fires or to make a fire spread worse. 
Residences and business houses must be built to satisfy 
the city’s safety rules. Electric wires and steam lines 
must be insulated, and other causes of fire must be 
guarded against. Buildings must be so constructed that 
the danger of falling ceilings and walls will be lessened 
in case of destructive fires. The city inspects property 
to insure its safety and to prevent its becoming a hazard 
to other property. It has the right to enforce regula¬ 
tions and orders and make careless or negligent people 
take more care to reduce fire danger. 

Though the “fire fighting” work of the Depart¬ 
ment is not its only use or purpose, it is an important 
one. Fire stations are placed in such parts of the city 
that any fire within the city limits may be reached 
promptly. Just a few years ago the “fire wagon” was 
drawn by fine horses that were the pride of the town 
and were highly trained to step, into their harness 
promptly when the alarm sounded. Water hose, ladders, 
and axes then made up much of the fighting equipment. 
Today we have automotive trucks that can make more 
speed than the teams of yesterday and can carry more 
means of extinguishing fires. Improved means of reach¬ 
ing all parts of a burning building, of protecting build¬ 
ing and contents from water damage, and of checking 
the spread of the fire have done much to reduce the total 
extent of fire damage in the city. As a result, the cost 
of fire insurance is kept lower. Much of the fighting is 
done by chemicals. 

The men of the fire department are among the most 
important public servants of the city. They are care¬ 
fully selected and then carefully trained to carry on 
their work most effectively. They must be ready to re¬ 
spond promptly, to reach the place of the fire with least 
danger to people on the streets, and to keep the property 
damage as low as possible. Most important of all, they 
render every possible service in saving human life and 
protecting people from being injured. The success of 
this work depends much on the cooperation of the people 
at or near the places of the fires. Often the rescue work 
is hindered by excitement and foolish behavior of those 
in danger. All too often the crowd of curious people 
who follow the fire truck or rush to the scene of the fire 
do much to interfere with the work of the trained crew 
with their splendid equipment. It is the citizen’s duty 
to enable the trucks to reach the fire scenes promptly 
and then do nothing to interfere with the work of trained 
men. 







You and Your City 


91 


Part of the service of the water system is to have 
fire plugs at such convenient places that hose lines may 
be attached and play water on a fire, regardless of where 
it may occur within the city. A reserve pressure is 
necessarily maintained in order to play the water on 
the highest buildings ana in the higher portions of the 
town. 

Members of the fire department render other valu¬ 
able service. Each autumn, during Fire Prevention Week, 
they help school children to understand the causes of 
fires, how to prevent them, and how to behave in case of 
fire danger. Also, cases of drowning and gas asphyxia¬ 
tion are rendered first aid through the use of oxygen 
administration. 

The efficiency of the fire department depends much 
on the promptness and accuracy of the calls that they 
receive. The “Gamewell alarm system” for both police 
and fire department is in use in Oklahoma City, and 
the lines for these alarms were placed underground. 

Questions : 

1. Where is the nearest fire station to your 
school? Your home? 

2. What recent improvements have been made in 
fire fighting means and methods? 

3. How is a fireman trained? 

4. Where are fire alarms located in the region 
of your school? Your home? 

5. How should a fire alarm be placed? 

6. How should drivers and pedestrians observe 
the rights of the fire department when going 
to a fire and when at work there? How much 
“volunteer” help does a fire crew want? 

7. Why should a person be forbidden to erect the 
type of a building that he may wish?' How is 
this controlled in Oklahoma City? 

8. How does the Fire Department help to make 
a large public meeting more safe? 

9. Why are certain doors marked “Exit” in some 
auditoriums? How are they usually indicated? 

10. Make some specific suggestions for behavior 
when a fire alarm is given when we are at 
school or church or at a show or some other 
places where large numbers attend. 

11. Inspect your own home and premises carefully 
to remove or correct fire dangers. For what 
will you look? 

VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS 

In addition to the valuable services of the city gov¬ 
ernment and the cooperative plans of caring for the un¬ 
fortunates, there are other agencies that are necessary 


to the success of any community, especially a city. These 
are “voluntary” organizations. That is, a person joins 
them and supports them if he wishes and if he fits in 
with the groups. In some cases the members choose the 
others who are to become members of the groups. These 
organizations constitute the vision and the power of a 
community. Their influence makes it possible for city 
government to succeed. Most adults expect to belong 
to one or more of these organizations. This gives them 
an opportunity to associate and work with others who 
have like ideas, to grow and enjoy themselves along 
lines that appeal to them, and to render far greater ser¬ 
vice than an individual can possibly do when working 
alone. 

Churches. In Oklahoma City there are many places 
of worship, representing most of the denominations that 
are found in the United States. Most denominations 
have more than one organization in order to make it 
convenient for people to attend, regardless of their resi¬ 
dence. These groups support themselves out of their 
own contributions and money-raising plans. They are 
entirely free from government control. Their property 
is not taxed (except to pay for pavement and sidewalks). 

The moral and spiritual level and tone of any com¬ 
munity are determined largely by its churches. Work¬ 
ing as organizations and as individual members and 
attendants who have been improved and strengthened 
because of the church, they influence the plans and 
policies of the city. Even those who do not attend or 
work in a church and do not contribute to its support 
are helped more than they appreciate by the presence 
and the work of the churches. 

One of the most necessary and most valuable serv¬ 
ices of the church is to provide a kind of education 
that American schools can not give. An education with¬ 
out a knowledge of the Bible is incomplete, yet the pub¬ 
lic school can not include this teaching. Every church 
has some form of educational department, often called 
the Sunday School, where teaching and training is given 
in lines that every child and young person, as well as 
adults, should have. The public school expects its pupils 
to take advantage of opportunities for valuable training 
that the school does not and can not include. 

Study Clubs. Every modern community has a great 
variety and large number of clubs, whose members 
meet and discuss various topics that specially interest 
them. These provide an opportunity for adults to ex¬ 
tend and continue their education along lines of their 
major interests and to enjoy a social life with groups 
of their choosing. Religion, art, literature, music, 
flowers, government, travel, child training, and numer- 







92 


Challenge of Democracy 


ous other vital interests are studied and discussed in 
these groups. Many of them are local organizations 
that are members of a larger group of clubs, with 
clubs in other towns and states. Some of these clubs 
"‘federate” and join with other groups to promote the 
interest in which they all unite. 

Like the churches, these groups not only help their 
members but join in promoting public causes and move¬ 
ments. Their influence is a vital part of the progress 
and life of the community. Some of them sponsor or 
contribute to some needy or worthy institution or cause 
that would not succeed without such support and aid. 
List some Oklahoma City study clubs. 

Organizations for Youths. In the list of organi¬ 
zations that benefit from the Community Fund are 
some organizations which are of special interest to 
junior high school boys and girls. Not all of them 
are listed. Name as many as you can. Of what one 
are you or have you been a member? What are their 
advantages? 

Civic and Luncheon Clubs. When Oklahoma be¬ 
came a state there were very, very few luncheon clubs 
in Oklahoma City. Today there are more than twenty. 
Most of these are members of larger organizations, 
“national” or even “international.” That is, in other 
cities are found clubs with the same names and plans, 
and associated with the other clubs in that group. 

Just as most study club members are women, so 
most members of civic and luncheon clubs are men. The.v 
usually meet once a week to lunch together, to enjoy the 
companionship of other men, and to discuss problems 
of their community. Like the churches and clubs, they 
exert an important influence on the life of the city, 
both as organizations and through their membership. 

Fraternal Organizations. Every community has its 
lodges. There are usually separate groups for men 
and for women. The lodge is a branch of a national 
or international organization, working under the di¬ 
rection of a central office. Its members visit similar 
lodges elsewhere and transfer their membership as 
they move. These groups have policies, standards, 
and ideals which they seek to further among their 
members in their community. Most of them own 
or rent halls or buildings, specially furnished for their 
purposes, where they meet on stated evenings each 
month. Some of the groups sponsor organizations for 
younger members of their families. Many of them 
maintain homes for orphans and for members who are 
old and unable to support themselves, or who have no 
other home. 


Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Com¬ 
merce is a very important organization. It is city 
wide, open to all, and is composed of men and women 
and business firms who pay annually for its support. 
They employ a secretary and staff and keep offices to 
promote community interests. 

Officers and committees, chosen from the mem¬ 
bers, serve without pay to help worthy projects and 
causes of the city, and are selected because of their 
standing in the community. Some of these committees 
are: Agriculture and Livestock, Aviation, Civic, Edu¬ 
cation, Emergency Recovery Projects, Finance, Flood 
Control, Goodwill Tours, Good Roads, Industrial, In¬ 
tercommunity Relations, Legislation, Publicity and 
Advertising, Radio, Recreation, State Fair, Taxation, 
Traffic, Transportation, Traveling Men’s Relations, 
and Water Supply. There are others, but this list 
gives an idea of the kinds of problems and interests 
that are discussed and encouraged and helped. Some 
causes are given liberal financial aid out of the budget 
of the Chamber. 

The Junior Division includes more than 500 men un¬ 
der thirty-five years of age. They have separate lunch¬ 
eons and committees, but cooperate with the Chamber 
of Commerce in its work and plans. Some special proj¬ 
ects are handled by this group, such as encouraging tree 
planting, Community Fund Gardens, State High School 
Track Meet, and other causes. 

The Convention Division works to bring conven¬ 
tions to the city, and to handle them when here. Ok¬ 
lahoma City has more gatherings of this kind than 
most cities, and has a reputation for hospitality of 
which we can be proud. 

Labor Organizations. Americans believe in work, 
its importance, and its protection from those who 
would take unfair advantage of the fact that men 
have to work. As there are organizations of business 
men, so are there organizations of workers. These 
are called Labor Unions. They render many services 
to members, such as maintaining Orphan and Old-Age 
Homes, but their principal purpose is to secure better 
conditions for the worker. Oklahoma City has a num¬ 
ber of such Unions. Can you name any of them? 

Most of these Labor Unions are united in the 
American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L.) which 
has headquarters in the city. Do you know of any 
other nation-wide organization? 

Parent-Teacher Association. Commonly known as 
the P. T. A., the Parent-Teacher Association has become 
a nation-wide movement and a powerful influence. Each 







You and Your City 


school has its organization of parents and teachers in¬ 
terested in that school, while the various units are joined 
in a city-wide organization, called the Council. These 
groups are associated with others through the State 
Parent-Teacher organization. All affiliate with the na¬ 
tional office of the P. T. A. and national meetings are 
held, working through committees on which the various 
states are represented. 

Frequent meetings are held to discuss or to hear 
discussed problems of the school and its pupils. Often 
some of the groups follow a course of study for several 
meetings. All these studies are to enable parents and 
patrons and teachers better to cooperate with one an¬ 
other to help boys and girls to get the best kind of train¬ 
ing. 

Some special interests and needs of pupils and 
schools are often helped by the P. T. A. Improvement 
of school libraries and other school equipment is a proj¬ 
ect of some groups. Sometimes helping children from 
needy families to have the means to attend school is 
the kind of service chosen. Improvement of recreation 
and entertainment opportunities of children is always 
one of the interests. Any important school problem or 
need depends more or less upon the support and work 
of the P. T. A. 

Questions : 

1. What do you understand by a “voluntary” or¬ 
ganization? 

2. In what ways are these organizations neces¬ 
sary to the success of a modern city? 

3. What phase of education is left to churches? 

4. In what ways do churches assist in caring for 
the needy? 

5. In what ways do study clubs help in adult ed¬ 
ucation? 

6. What organizations for youth are represented 
in your school? 

7. Name some civic and luncheon clubs that are 
found in Oklahoma City? 

8. Give illustrations of how these clubs have 
helped the schools. 

9. Name a few lodges that are found in Oklaho¬ 
ma City. 

10. Where in Oklahoma are there orphans’ homes 
that are supported by lodges? 

11. In what ways do the chambers of commerce 
help in planning the growth of the city? 

12. In what ways do they help schools and oth¬ 
er interests of children and youth? 

13. Name some specific ways in which the P. T. A. 
has helped the schools in Oklahoma City. 
Your school? 


93 


CITY PLANNING 

The Planning Commission is authorized by State 
law. It makes continuous study of the growth and de¬ 
velopment problems of the city, works out recommenda¬ 
tions, suggestions, and plans, and submits them to the 
City Council. The problems fall under three heads: 

1. “Problems of circulation, including streets, transit, 
transportation, waterways, etc.” 

2. “The development of various classes of public prop¬ 
erty—public buildings, schools, and the problems of 
park and recreational areas insofar as they are a 
part of the city plan.” 

3. “The control of privately owned property through 
zoning and regulation of land platting.” 

No city can be safely left to chance growth. Narrow 
streets and alleys, streets with jogs that make rapid 
traffic dangerous, unsightly and unhealthful conditions, 
and similar unwanted situations will develop unless some 
people with vision and with authority work to pre¬ 
vent them. Such is the work of the Planning Commis¬ 
sion. 

Another phase of the planning and regulation which 
is authorized by State law is that of “zoning” the city. 
The Council passes ordinances which define the kinds 
of zones and the Zoning Commission determines the 
boundaries of these areas. Some that have been au¬ 
thorized by the Council are Resident Districts, Apart¬ 
ment Districts, Business and Small Manufacturing Dis¬ 
tricts, Heavy Industry Districts, and Oil and Gas Dis¬ 
tricts. The group is changed as conditions and needs 
change. Also, zones are determined in which certain 
types of buildings are forbidden, where the structures 
are so controlled that danger of fire is kept as low as 
possible. 

Any property owner who feels that the zoning rules 
are unfair to him may file a protest, showing why he be¬ 
lieves that the situation is unfair. The zoning may be 
changed by a three-fourths vote of the City Council. 
It acts upon recommendation of the City Planning Com¬ 
mission, which makes its recommendations after due 
investigation and study. 

The Planning Commission and the sub-commissions 
which work under it, are always looking to the future, 
planning for a bigger and better city years ahead as well 
as correcting and improving present conditions. Traffic, 
lighting, safety, recreation, and similar problems must 
be understood and planned for in advance, else the city 
is allowed to muddle along and develop conditions that 
can be changed only at great expense and dissatisfac¬ 
tion. 






94 


Challenge of Democracy 


The Board of Adjustment consists of five members 
appointed by the Mayor. It has power to hear petitions 
and exceptions to the strict letter of the zoning ordi¬ 
nances. Any petitioner who can show that the ordinance 
would cause him to suffer undue and unnecessary hard¬ 
ship may be granted an exception by this Board, if it is 
proved that such exception is in keeping with the spirit 
of the ordinance and not contrary to the public welfare. 
The District Court may pass upon an appeal from the 
judgment of the Board of Adjustment. 

Like individuals, cities learn to do things better 
by studying the experience and plans of other cities. 
We can save ourselves much grief and disappointment 
by understanding other’s mistakes and then avoiding 
them. We can add to our success by imitating plans 
that succeed. Cities learn in the same way. Newer 
cities, and this is especially true of western cities, 
have a much better chance to grow and develop along 
desirable lines than do most cities that were laid out 
and built up years and years ago. 

Questions : 

1. What three kinds of problems are handled by 
the Planning Commission? 

2. Does the Planning Commission have authority 
to enforce its suggestions? 

3. Illustrate what is meant by zones. 

4. Illustrate how the Planning Commission could 
profit from studying other cities. 

HOUSING 

While Oklahoma City does not have the slum 
problem of larger cities it does have a problem in the 
housing of the poor. Because of extreme poverty a 
large number of people in Oklahoma City live in 
crowded conditions. 

Expense of living is very low in these sections, 
consequently the people crowd together and live in 
squalor. 

It is difficult to supervise such areas carefully, 
therefore they are usually unsanitary and breeding 
places for disease and crime. Boys and girls who live 
in such conditions often become criminals, or when 
they grow up are unable to make a living and so 
must be supported by the community. 

Where can bad living conditions be found in Ok¬ 
lahoma City? 

The Federal government has undertaken a few 
housing projects over the country trying to illustrate 
what can be done in providing good living conditions, 
and so stimulate communities to improve their bad 


conditions. Will Rogers Courts is such a Federal 
project. Have you read of any others? 

It is the duty of the more fortunate to work to¬ 
ward the betterment of such conditions. We are our 
"brother’s keeper,” and it is necessary for our own 
welfare as well as theirs that we look after bad hous¬ 
ing. 

CITY FINANCES 

A city of two hundred thousand population must 
plan its finances carefully. There are some sources of 
public revenue that are permitted by State law and oth¬ 
ers that are not, while others are so divided among the 
several departments of government that only a small 
amount is raised. The city officials must study carefully 
the sources that will bring in sufficient amounts to 
carry on the government and at the same time try to 
distribute these collections so as to be fair to those 
who pay. Ability to pay and benefits received should 
both be carefully considered in distributing the tax 
load. 

Following is a list of the sources of city revenue 
for the year which ended June 30, 1937. Out of about 
fifty items there are seven that produce most of the 
city’s income. These, in order of their amounts, are: 
Water Meter Rates, Oil Royalties, Garbage Service, 
Police Fines and Costs, Park-O-Meter Revenue, Li¬ 
censes, and the city’s share of the State Auto Tax. 

Like the school district, the city has voted bonds 
for public improvements and must levy a "sinking 
fund” each year to pay off these bonds when they fall 
due. Also, a very small tax item is levied each year 
for the State Fair. 

As was brought out in previous discussions, some 
departments of city government are largely, if not whol¬ 
ly, supported by those who directly benefit from these 
services. These collections are in the form of rates, 
fees, and licenses. The occupations tax is considered 
a fair means of charging certain lines of business to 
help protect them, to protect the public from frauds, 
and to protect legitimate industries. Some of these are 
scheduled by the day, such as circuses, which pay the 
city so much for the first fifty cars that they use, and 
additional for each additional car. Some transient ped¬ 
dlers and entertainers come in this class of day-rate 
licenses. 

Other salesmen or entertainers, who stay longer in 
our city but do not become resident businesses, pay by 
the week or month. Most resident firms and individuals 
pay semi-annually or annually, the rates being adjusted 
to the size of the business and the amount of income. 










You and Your City 


95 


These fees render a real service in protecting the local 
dealer who serves us all the time and is an important 
part of our community. Also they protect the buyer, 
who might be defrauded by a “hit-and-run” salesman 
or entertainer who expects to be somewhere else soon, 
anyway. 

The city renders a real' service to its inhabitants 
when it provides pure food and drink through inspecting 
the places of business and the wares of those who sell 
or distribute what we take into our bodies. The cost 
of this inspection is passed on to the business that is in¬ 
spected. When they have satisfied the rules of the city 
department concerned and have paid the prescribed fee, 
they are issued “permits,” which are usually publicly 
displayed. These are issued for definite times in order 
that regular inspections will be assured. More fre¬ 
quent inspections may occur on complaint or when there 
seems to be cause for them. 

The table shows several other sources of city in¬ 
come which are paid by those who offend or who benefit. 
One who lets his weeds grow to the point that they be¬ 
come a danger or a nuisance will have them cut by the 
city and the expense charged to the property. Those 
who fail to pay their taxes or rates on time are charged 
for being late. People who wish to keep dogs within 
the city limit pay a tax for the privilege. A study of 
the table will reveal other interesting sources. 

Two of the large items mentioned above deserve 
special notice. It will be seen that more than a fifth 
of the city income for running expenses comes from 
earnings of oil and gas holdings. Only in recent years 
has this been true and very few cities have this 
source of revenue. The auto tax is another interesting 
item. When the owner of a car or truck or bus buys his 
tag each year, a portion of the cost goes back to his 
community to help maintain the streets. Thus, an owner 
helps to build and maintain the highways of the entire 
state as well as caring for those of his own community. 

For what is this money spent? The table on ex¬ 
penditures shows that the running expenses of the city 


are more than three million dollars a year, beside 
a million and a half set aside to retire the bonds 
and to pay interest on them. This table shows 35 items 
of cost, all of them necessary and important phases of 
city government. As stated before, some of them in one 
way or another bear all or much of their cost. This is 
shown in the table of revenues. Most of the services 
for which this money pays were discussed previously, 
but it will be interesting to find them in both of the 
financial tables. 

Questions : 

1. What is meant by the city budget? 

2. What two considerations must the City Coun¬ 
cil keep in mind in distributing the tax load? 

3. List in order of size the ten largest items of 
revenue for 1936-37. 

4. Study the whole list of revenue items and ask 
your teacher to explain any that you do not 
understand. 

5. For what purposes may the city properly vote 
bonds? 

6. What is meant by “sinking fund”? 

7. List in order of size the ten largest items of 
city expense for 1936-37. 

8. Using the tables for both revenue and expendi¬ 
ture, find which of these items were largely 
self-supporting. 

9. What are the advantages of an occupations 
tax? 

10. Why is it necessary for the city to inspect 
places where food and drink are prepared and 
sold? Who should bear the expense of this 
inspection? 

11. Why should part of the State auto tax be spent 
by the city? 

12. What are the advantages of dog tax? 

13. What is meant by “weed tax”? 

14. Study the graphs to get an idea of the relative 
amount of income and expenditure of some of 
the larger items. 


OKLAHOMA CITY REVENUES FOR 1936-37 


$ Represents $20,000 
Water Meter Rates 
Oil Royalties 
(Garbage Service 
Police Fines and Cost 
Park-O-Meter Revenue 
State Auto License 
Oil Well Drilling Permits 
General Licenses 
45 Other Sources 



m 













96 


Challenge of Democracy 


OKLAHOMA CITY EXPENDITURES 
FOR 1936-37 


Water Department 
Police Department 
Fire Department 
Street Department 
Park Department 
Shops and Garage 
Garbage Department 
General Government 
Unemployed Relief 
Sewage Disposal 
Municipal Auditorium 
Medical Relief 
Engineering Dept. 
Library Dept. 

There are 17 Other Items 


$$$$$$( $$$$$$£$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 


Q^QQQ 



EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1937, AND APPROPRIATIONS 
FOR FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 1937, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 1938. 


No. of 

Employees Expenditures Appropriations 

1938 


1936-37 

1937-38 

1 

Mayor’s Office- 

2,368.12 

3,338.00 

9 

Counselor’s Office _ 

27,854.66 

33,946.00 

5 

Municipal Court __ 

6,420.25 

12,072.00 

259 

Police Department 

535,495.49 

605,553.00 

4 

Planning Commis¬ 
sion 

9,805.35 

9,732.00 

5 

Dog Pound 

5,836.05 

7,534.00 

31 

Engineering Depart¬ 
ment 

60,366.62 

65,400.00 

81% 

Street Department 

295,064.50 

346,611.00 

18 

Sewer Department- 

29,601.72 

54,385.00 

20% 

Sewage Disposal— 

68,273.71 

78,017.00 

38 

Shops and Garage- 

167,503.41 

195,647.00 

252 

Fire Department— 

429,949.34 

492,254.00 

12 

Building Depart¬ 
ment 

21,156.97 

25,757.00 

102% 

Water Department- 

559,519.07 

492,268.20 

63 

Library Department 
Park Department— 

53,778.86 

194,135.40 

194,775.40 

10 

Airport Department 

23,347.10 

64,957.08 

10 

Treasurer’s Office. _ 

22,082.65 

23,120.00 

7 

Clerk’s Office 

17,411.05 

17,688.00 

8 

Auditor’s Office_ 

21,496.91 

21,506.00 

2 

Special Assessment 

4,361.09 

4,904.00 

19% 

City Hall Building- 

18,250.00 

40,284.00 

5 

City Manager’s Of¬ 
fice _ __ _ 

15,731.21 

19.662.00 

4 

Civil Service Com¬ 
mission _ _ 

1.727.18 

2,070.00 

15 

Municipal Ware¬ 
house — 

34,166.87 

45,868.00 


No. of 

Employees Expenditures Appropriations 

1938 

1936-37 

1937-38 

10 General Government 

106,944.86 

75,530.00 

Unemployment Re¬ 
lief _ _ __ __ 

68,742.90 

89,840.00 

31 Medical Depart¬ 
ment _ __ _ 

61,347.28 

78,072.00 

4 Chemist’s Office_ 

9,401.12 

8,514.00 

6 Detention Hospital 

11,708.00 

12,826.00 

83 Garbage Depart¬ 
ment 

113,969.57 

119,927.00 

13 Nursing Bureau_ 

23,413.34 

25,050.00 

8 Bureau of Dairy 
Control 

16,015.33 

16,945.00 

17 Municipal Auditor¬ 
ium __ __ 

67,000.62 

61,260.00 

21 Motor Vehicle In¬ 
spection Depart- 
ment __ - 

1175 Total General Fund 

3,104,246.60 

31,406.20 

3,376,718.88 

Park Fund _ - 

3% Fishing and Hunt¬ 
ing License 

7,310.47 

91,900.00 

10,939.72 

29 Library Fund — - 
Fair Fund (Pre¬ 
miums) — 

22,488.25 

60,077.00 

22,500.00 

Total Operating 
Fund Expenses_ 

3,134,045.32 

3,562,135.60 

Total Sinking Fund 
Expenses 

1,463,437.51 

1,368,035.11 

Total Expenditures 
for all Purposes. 

4,597,482.83 

4,930,170.71 


































You and Your City 


97 


HIGHWAY SAFETY 

(Use the Social Studies Units from the State Safety 

Course) 

The citizens of Oklahoma are interested in keeping 
the streets and highways safe. We have pointed out 
the importance of good citizenship in government, let 
us see if the same principles do not apply to highway 
safety. 

Tolerance is one of the finest qualities of the true 
citizen and nowhere can tolerance be exhibited with 
better effect than on the highway. If one will but re¬ 
member that every motorist is entitled to equal road 
privileges and to the ordinary courtesies which we have 
been taught to observe in the ordinary associations of 
life, driving will become a pleasure and the danger of 
accidents will be lessened. 

The streets and highways are built with taxpayers’ 
money and are for the use of all the people. The man 
driving at thirty miles per hour has just as much right 
to the road as the man driving fifty miles per hour. 
He has just as much right to enjoy the scenery as the 
other fellow has to make a quick trip, unless there is a 
minimum speed posted. 

It is strange how many people seem to feel that 
the highways belong to them and are inconsiderate 
and selfish about their use, feeling that any thing 
which impedes or slows their progress has no right to 
be on the road. 

On the other hand, the good citizen will not know¬ 
ingly impede traffic by driving a car which gets out of 
order frequently, or by driving in a manner which im¬ 
pedes traffic. 

Some persons feel that it is unnecessary to stop at 
stop signals if there is no car close or no traffic officer 
around. Some day one of these runs a line because he 
has formed this dishonest habit, and he runs into, or 
is run into, by another car. The newspapers will label 
the crash as accidental, but is it? Is it not rather the 
direct result of dishonesty and carelessness? 

We do not excuse people for a loss of temper 
under ordinary conditions and we consider that it 
shows bad breeding and unfortunate selfishness. But 
how often do people show petty temper on the road, 
honking horns unnecessarily, yelling at other motor¬ 
ists, and even causing accidents because of bad temper? 

Courage is a quality which we admire in all peo¬ 
ple. But is it courage when the “heroic driver” is will¬ 
ing to sacrifice the lives of all who ride with him and 
endanger also all whom he passes by giving a demon¬ 
stration of his skill at the wheel while showing how 
the “old boat” or “new buggy” will make eighty? Per¬ 


haps the passengers have more courage than the 
driver, who, more than likely, wants to show off be¬ 
cause of an inferiority complex. 

Safety is as much concerned with people who walk 
as with people who ride. The pedestrian (one who 
walks) should try to cooperate by observing rules and 
signals as to crossing streets, never stepping suddenly 
from behind parked cars, crossing at walking lanes, 
not running into traffic after balls or hats. Above all, 
the good citizen should make it easy instead of diffi¬ 
cult for the driver to avoid an accident. 

Bicycles are most necessary and useful but they 
are a problem on the streets today. The good citizen 
on the bicycle is careful not to hang onto cars or 
trucks, or to dart in and out of traffic; he sees that his 
wheel is well lighted at night; he does not endanger 
another person’s life by carrying him on his wheel. 
In addition to the above, the good citizen on the 
motorcycle avoids excessive speed. 

The privilege of using these splendid roads is part 
of our American heritage, but all privileges also have 
responsibilities and so the citizen is responsible for the 
proper use, not the abuse, of the highways. He is re¬ 
sponsible for observing the rules of the road as to 
signals, stop signs, speed limits. He is responsible 
for keeping "his car in good condition, he is responsible 
for not driving when physically unfit. He is responsi¬ 
ble for knowing the rules of the state and city in 
which he lives, and for observing as far as possible 
those of the state or city in which he visits. He is 
responsible for knowing how to manage a car on 
muddy, slippery roads, or in fog and rain. 

We have spoken of the need for knowing the laws 
concerning operation of motor vehicles, and the use of 
streets and highways. These laws have been made one 
at a time, (usually after an accident) as a result of 
the demand by the public for control of specific situa¬ 
tions. Ignorance of the law is no excuse in court when 
one breaks traffic rules. 

The automobile has brought blessing to mankind. 
It has also brought sadness and woe. Its use is a test 
of character and citizenship. Can you meet this chal¬ 
lenge of democracy? 

Activities: 

1. Give instances where you have seen unusually 
good citizenship on the highway. 

2. Discuss examples where you have seen bad 
citizenship. 

3. Has any member of your family had an auto¬ 
mobile accident? Analyze the causes. 

4. Have any of your friends been badly hurt in 
car accidents? 











98 


Challenge of Democracy 


5. Make a list of the most serious dangers on the 
highway. On the streets. 

6. Discuss some of the most important traffic 
regulations in Oklahoma City. Do you think 


of any that you would add? 

Teacher's Reference and Bibliography : 

State Dep’t of Education, Instructional Units in 
Safety Education, pp. 7-11, 20-25. 


READINGS OF UNIT III 



lying and Bernard 

Our Community Life 

3 

2 ^ 

‘-5 

a 5 
° 2 

W r5 

§ f x 

m w a 

a a r 
o — 
3-S| 

Capen & Melchior 

My Worth to the World 

Faith & Edgerton 

Our Civic Life 

Finch, Everyday 

Civics, 1925 

Hughes Elementary 

Community Civics, 

1924 

Hughes 

Civic Training 

Manley Pursuit of 

Happiness, 1933 

(1) 

Care of Un¬ 
fortunates 

248-255 

260-2(53 

189-198 

155-202 

- 


271-287 

80-101 


(2) 

Churches 

527-52S 





291-294 

181-186 


(3) 

City 

Finances 

342-344 


491-495 

301-314 

87-97 


306-321 


(4) 

City 

Governmen' 

8-11 

337-342 

83-92 


113-134 

99-111 

21-29 

286-305 

211-216 

(3) 

City 

Planning 

267-284 

92-97 

128-129 

136-154 


72-75 

152-159 

166-179 

57-77 


(6) 

Education 

88-100 

102-107 

174-185 

117-135 

135-159 

60-70 

98-116 

143-171 

130-136 

(7) 

Eire 

Protection 

112-122 

147-150 



51-59 

68-74 



(8) 

Health 

43-68 

119-121 

124-128 

130-135 

57-79 


31-43 

31-40 

40-62 


109-116 

(9) 

Libraries 

100 





117-120 



(10) 

Police 

Department 

i°3 131 
136-141 

139-14-1 

150-151 



46-51 

83-85 

01.02 

128-142 


(11) 

Public 

Utilities 

162-164 

157-169 


117-119 


197-201 



(12) 

Recreation 

70-85 

100-10] 

203-212 

104-116 



130-150 

102-113 


(13) 

Traffic 

160-163 

96-97 

130 

80-103 



75-79 

159-164 

116 


















































































































INDEX 


Absolute Monarchy, 8. 

Albany Congress, 10. 

American Ideals, 9. 

Articles of Confederation, 10. 

Authoritarian Nation, 8. 

Assignment of lands, 41. 

Bill of Rights, Federal, 17, 18; Okla. 59. 

Bill, passing of, 10. 

Big Pasture, 45. 

Blind, 66. 

Boards and Commissions, Federal, 25; Okla. 59. 
Boomers, 43. 

Boundaries, 49. 

Branches of Government, 13. 

Cabinet, 21, 22. 

Capital, 47 
Caucus, 15. 

Cattle Country, 42. 

Cities, 65. 

City Commissions, 77. 

City Council, 76. 

City Manager, 73, 76. 

City Offices, 76. 

City Planning, 93. 

Civil Service, 77. 

Climate, 34. 

Colleges, 47, 66. 

Committees of Congress, 15. 

Community Chest, 84. 

Communication, 80. 

Congress, 13, 14, 15; Continental Congresses, 10. 
Constitution of the United States, 

Amendments, 25; Convention, 10, 11; 

Bill of Rights, 18; Preamble, 12; 

Ratified, 11. 

Constitution of Okla., 53, 54, 55. 

Couch, Captain, 44. 

County, 62, 63. 

Courts, federal, 23, 24. 

Courts, Okla., 61, 62; County, 61 ; Municipal, 61. 
Criminals, 68. 

Deaf, 66, 67. 

Debt, 27. 

Democracy, 8. 

Dictator, 8, 9. 

Education, 65, 88, 89, 90. 

Elections, 19, 54. 

Enabling Act, 47, 52. 

Executive, United States, 19-23. 

Executive, Okla., 57. 

Exploration, 39, 40. 

Five Civilized Tribes, 40, 41. 

Fire protection, 90. 

Government, early, 7: State, 53; City, 76. 
Governors of Okla., 46; powers of, 57. 

Greece, 8. 

Health, 85, 86. 

House of Burgesses, 9. 

House of Representatives, 13, 14. 

Housing, 94. 

Impeachment, 21, 46. 

Indians, 53, 54, 55. 

Indian Territory, 40. 

Initiative, 55, 55, 77. 

Judicial Department, 23, 24; 61, 62. 

Labor, 48, 92. 

Land Openings, 44, 45. 

Laws, how made, 15, 16; need of, 83. 
Legislature, 56. 


Libraries, 86. 

Limited Monarchy, 8. 

Lobbying, 56. 

Louisiana Purchase, 31, 40. 

Magna Charta, 8. 

Mayor, 76. 

Mayor-Council, 73. 

Mayor-Commissioner, 73. 

Mayflower Compact, 9. 

Mountains, 32, 33. 

New Deal, 23, 24. 

New England Confederation, 10. 

Nominating Convention, 19, 28. 

Oklahoma City, founding of, 71, 72; early government, 73. 
Oklahoma Senators and Representatives, 14, 49. 

Oklahoma Territory, 42, 45. 

Organizations, 91. 

Orphans, 67. 

Parliament, 8. 

Passing a Bill, 16. 

Payne, David, 44. 

President, 19, 20, 21. 

Police, 82, 83. 

Political Parties, 19, 27, 28, 47. 

Population, 37. 

Powers of Congress, 16, 17. 

Powers Denied Congress, 17. 

Primary Elections, 54. 

Products of Okla., agriculture, 34, 35: live stock and poultry, 
35; lumber, 36; minerals, 36. 

Public Debt, 27. 

Public Utilities, 78, 79, 80. 

Radio, SO. 

Recall, 77. 

Recreations, 87. 

Referendum, 55, 56, 77. 

Relief, 23, 24, 84, 85. 

Republic, 12. 

Revenue, 26, 69, 70, 71, 94, 95, 96. 

Rivers, 31. 

Run, 71. 

Safety, S2, 97. 

Senate, United States, 14, 15; Oklahoma, 56. 

Sequoyah Convention, 46. 

Schools, 65, 66. 

Social Security, 29. 

Sooners, 44. 

Sovereignty, 7. 

Stamp Act Congress, 10. 

State Flag, 39. 

State Flower, 39. 

Statehood, 52. 

State Motto, 39. 

State Officials. 59. 

State Seal, 60. 

State Song, 39. 

Taxes, United States, 26; Oklahoma, 49, 68, 69, 70; City, 94, 
95, 96. 

Totalitarian Nation, 8. 

Towns, 42, 64. 

Town Meeting, 9. 

Township, 64. 

Transportation, 37, 81. 

Tribes, 40, 41, 42. 

Virginia, 9. 

Welfare Agencies, 84, 85. 

Zoning, 93. 






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